Andrea Wright

Andrea Wright is a Professor of Anthropology and Asian & Middle Eastern Studies at the College of William & Mary. Her research focuses on the histories of capitalism, labor migration, and energy production in South Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the United States. She holds a PhD in Anthropology & History from the University of Michigan, alongside multiple advanced degrees from prestigious institutions. Her work combines ethnography with historical analysis to explore how labor movements and geopolitical dynamics shape global economic systems.

Key research areas include Indian migrant labor in Gulf oil projects, the historical legacy of strikes in oil-rich regions, and the global impact of labor laws like the Taft-Hartley Act. She is the author of two major books: Between Dreams and Ghosts: Indian Migration and Middle Eastern Oil (2021) and Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea (2024). Current projects investigate green energy development and the intersections of ethnonationalism with infrastructure projects.

Her courses cover topics such as global movements for justice, the anthropology of the state, and Middle Eastern oil history. She frequently engages with media and academic platforms to discuss labor migration and decolonial theories.