Reshaping the Chinese Ladder of Success in the Era of Globalization: Family Strategies and Social Mobility of American-Educated Chinese, 1850–1917

Abstract: This article reassesses the role of private initiatives in conjunction with governments in supporting study in America during the late Qing and early Republican periods. By employing computational methods to extract new insights from the canonical Who’s Who of American Returned Students (1917), the article demonstrates that Chinese students whose study abroad was privately funded played a crucial role in expanding the spectrum of academic pursuits and professional opportunities beyond those officially recognized as being of national importance. Furthermore, the article explores the enduring influence of family connections among those educated in America, highlighting the significance of relationships such as those with uncles, the distribution of roles among siblings, and intermarriage among students. Through two case studies, the article illustrates the multigenerational impact of studying abroad: the Ouyang family utilized their American education to diversify their activities, while the Fei family leveraged it to ascend the social ladder.