Representation and performativity of whiteness in China The case of foreign digital entrepreneurs

Drawing on three years of digital ethnographic research, this dissertation, aligned with the European Research Council (ERC) China-White anthropological research project, focuses on young, foreign, digital entrepreneurs in China, an underexplored group of migrants. These individuals engage in business activities on Chinese social media platforms and within the platform economy to enhance their enterprises. The study investigates their migration trajectories, experiences, challenges, and strategies in navigating China's entrepreneurial landscape, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the representation of race in business.
Through an intersectional approach, the research examines the interplay of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and technology in shaping racialized positions and racial capital in China's entrepreneurship sector. By viewing whiteness as a performative and socially constructed identity, the dissertation highlights the fluidity and complexity of racial formation, providing insights into the nuanced manifestations of whiteness in contemporary China.
The central research question is: “How is whiteness as a power structure produced, represented, and performed among young, foreign, white entrepreneurs in China, particularly within the context of their business activities, social interactions, and the intersections of race, gender, and digital entrepreneurship?” This study contributes to the broader field of critical whiteness studies by offering new geographical perspectives and deepening the understanding of white racial dynamics beyond Euro-American contexts.