Acknowledgments

This book grew out of a journey marked by both struggle and discovery.The struggles were made lighter and the joys more delightful by the many fellow travelers who helped me along the way.I hold enormous gratitude for the people whose labor, insight, and camaraderie made this research possible.Foremost are the research assistants whose hands-on fieldwork transformed my initial scholarly questions into vivid, lived detail: Lihua and Zheng Zhao embedded themselves in Walmart stores to conduct sustained ethnography, offering perspectives few others could reach.I am particularly grateful to Zheng, whose intellectual contributions deepened through his doctoral work at SUNY Stony Brook (now Stony Brook University).Ziqi Liu also played a vital role, conducting interviews that revealed work dynamics impacted by new technologies.My gratitude goes out to Anita Chan, who connected me with veteran workers whose memories help to anchor this book in a dynamic historical context.I am indebted to Zhang Jun, founder of the Walmart Workers Association, for sharing not only experience but conviction.I