Originally from southwestern China, I have lived in the United States since 2005. My research focuses on my hometown, Chengdu, and it examines the rise and fall of behemoth state-owned steel mills in the context of Chinese socialism
I was born in a state factory hospital and spent years of my childhood playing inside worker complexes, still harboring fond memories of their geometrical gardens and communal swimming pool. In 2002, the factory where two generations of my family worked went bankrupt, with its land sold off to private developers. Years later, when I returned to visit, I found little that remained of the landscapes familiar to me. In place of the bustling steel factory located on the edge of Chengdu’s second ring road, there stood sprawling shopping malls and high-rise condominiums. My research originates from impressions of a familiar urban space that no longer exists and asks about the political and economic forces that enabled its creation and demise.
Sarah Chang PhD 