This presentation introduces the framework and key themes of my dissertation, which explores the lives of Chinese tech workers in Silicon Valley through an anthropological and sociological lens. It focuses on how these highly skilled immigrants navigate the economic, political, and cultural structures of the Bay Area while negotiating their identities, aspirations, and transnational ties. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of capital and habitus, as well as ethnographic methods, the research examines their intersections of class mobility, marriage, parenting, and professional trajectories.
The presentation is structured around the dissertation’s six core chapters, highlighting how each chapter addresses specific aspects of their experiences. Topics include the homogeneity of tech workers’ lifestyles, the gendered challenges of family formation, strategies for children’s education, and the political attitudes shaped by U.S.-China dynamics. Additionally, the talk will delve into the transformative role of AI and how it reshapes their career trajectories and personal lives.
Author´s biography:
Shuyue WANG is a doctoral student in Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID). With an interdisciplinary background in Economics and Management of Exhibitions (B.A., South China University of Technology) and Museum Anthropology (M.A., Columbia University), she has academic and professional experience in strategic consulting, sustainable development, and museum studies & curation across academia, international organizations, and the private sector in the U.S., Switzerland, and China. Her PhD research focuses on the processes of capital transformation, social mobility, and class distinction among Chinese engineers working in the tech industry in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ethnologie Chinas 