Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

BroadTones

How Boutique Workers Curate Lives in a Gilded Loop

For years, fashion-forward Chinese have worked to perfect their brands and curate personal experiences for thoughtful shoppers. Yet their projected images of glamor mask the pain of trapped ambition.

Li Xueshi

The Summers-Epstein Emails’ ‘Yellow Peril’ Problem

Harvard professor Larry Summers has been widely criticized for his extensive correspondence with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But the denigrating way he views Asian women hasn’t gotten enough attention.

Yang Fangxi

Why Chinese Culinary Customs Aren’t Weird, but Smart

That Chinese people will eat anything is a foreign misconception. Instead, foreigners could learn a thing or two from the way China treats its food.

Zhou Hongcheng

AI Isn’t Always Helping Chinese Office Workers Either

Introducing AI into the workplace is all about chasing efficiency. But the ways in which AI affects work — for better and worse — show that efficiency isn’t such a simple concept.

Chen Changwen

The Dominance of East Asian Pianists, Explained

A desire for modernity, a contentious relationship with Western culture, and a calculated search for educational advantages have all produced a classical music scene awash in East Asian excellence.

Gao Yuanzhi

China’s Security Guards Live Lives on the Margin

The demand for security guards is so high in Chinese cities that anyone can become one. As a result, the job has become a low-status last resort for migrant men.

He Wapi

The Class Anxieties Behind China’s Millions of Security Guards

The vast majority of Chinese urban homes are inside gated communities. Once, residents feared crime. But now, they fear something else.

The Women Who Translated Chinese Cuisine Into American

Chinese food became a popular American dinner because of the pioneering work of two women who, in the middle of the 20th century, set out to teach the flavors of home to their new country.

Hugo Tseng

Why Cai Guoqiang’s Lofty Ambitions Should Come Back Down to Earth

Cai Guoqiang is internationally recognized for his explosive works that emerged during the golden age of globalization. However, when his latest work was met with widespread controversy, it revealed how out of step he is with today’s China.

Yang Yunchang

How AI Allows Us to Talk With Ancient Chinese People

AI software has made it possible to consistently analyze thousands of historical texts, allowing scientists to carefully map how people’s viewpoints changed between centuries and across regions.