From coolies to revolutionaries
The transformation of identity among Chinese laborers in Russia (1858–1938)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23308732 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zhuo Tian (0000-0003-1606-6883, Southeast University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Labor History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-656X • E-ISSN: 1469-9702 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0023656x.2026.2708948 |
| OpenAlex | W7171721235 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
Drawing on reports from the Far Eastern revolutionary newspaper Gongren Zhilu, this article examines the identity of Chinese laborers in Russia during the period from 1858 to 1938. In response to the ongoing reconfiguration of Russia’s social power relations, these laborers actively engaged in the revolutionary movement and underwent a profound transformation in their self-identification from ‘coolies’ to ‘revolutionaries.’ To uncover the causes and mechanisms of this transformation, this study employs social identity theory and addresses three progressive questions: how Chinese laborers constructed an ‘in-group’; how their class consciousness began to emerge; and how their revolutionary identity was formed and manifested in concrete actions. Through these inquiries, the article reconstructs the dynamic logic of their identity shift. It argues that the laborers’ commitment to the revolutionary cause was not a passive response to historical currents, but rather an active historical choice – a choice made after critical reflection on their own plight and inspired by the ideals of proletarian revolution.
China · Identity (music) · Transformation (genetics) · Chinese history and philosophy · Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies · Soviet and Russian History
| Highly cited | No |
|---|