Zai Liang

Zai Liang is a Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Albany. His research focuses on Chinese immigrant entrepreneurship, urban sociology, and the intersections of race, capitalism, and migration. His notable work examines how Fujianese immigrants expanded Chinese restaurants beyond traditional Chinatowns, leveraging networks and digital tools like WeChat to navigate U.S. urban landscapes.

His book analyzes the spatial and social transformations driven by Chinese restaurant owners in non-traditional destinations, exploring labor hierarchies, racial dynamics, and the role of technology in diasporic networks. The study critiques historical and contemporary racial capitalism while highlighting cross-community alliances in marginalized spaces.

Zai Liang’s work bridges sociology, Asian American studies, and urban ethnography, offering critical insights into immigrant economic strategies and their entanglement with U.S. systemic inequities.