Journalist Eric Fish discusses his first book, China’s Millennials: The Want Generation, which profiles Chinese youth from around the country and how they are navigating the education system, the workplace, divisive social issues and a resurgence in activism. Brought up with lofty expectations, China’s Millennials have been accustomed to unprecedented opportunities on the back of an economic boom. But today, China’s growth is slowing and its demographics rapidly shifting, with the boom years giving way to a painful hangover.
Fish, a millennial himself, first moved to China in 2007, where he taught Chinese university students and then earned his master’s degree at Tsinghua University. Through his time both teaching and studying, he became drawn to the stories of young Chinese who were coming of age.