![]() | The New Chinese America In this detailed and comprehensive study of contemporary Chinese America, Xiaojian Zhao uses class analysis to illuminate the difficulties of everyday survival for poor and undocumented immigrants and analyzes the process through which social mobility occurs. Through ethnic ties, Chinese Americans have built an economy of their own in which entrepreneurs can maintain a competitive edge given their access to low-cost labor; workers who are shut out of the mainstream job market can find work and make a living; and consumers can enjoy high quality services at a great bargain. While the growth of the ethnic economy enhances ethnic bonds by increasing mutual dependencies among different groups of Chinese Americans, it also determines the limits of possibility for various individuals depending on their socioeconomic and immigration status. Xiaojian Zhao is an associate professor in the department of Asian American studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of Remaking ChineseAmerica: Immigration, Family, and Community, 1940û1965 (Rutgers University Press), winner of the History Book Award from the Association of Asian American Studies. |
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