SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2022

My signature work focuses on The Role of The Shanghai Green Gang in Labor Control from 1920 to 1937. I gather archival documents from Shanghai municipal archives and collect journal articles and newspaper reports from online databases. By examining the rise of the largest secret society in Shanghai, this research shows how the Green Gang has been a powerful force in labor control since the 1920s. The Green Gang gained power in labor control primarily because it originated from redundant workers and had a strong native-place relationship with many workers. The Green Gang boss Du Yuesheng led the gang in collaboration with the Guomindang to suppress strikes, monopolize the opium trade, and mount an anti-CCP coup in 1927. In spite of the challenges of social and political change, the Green Gang was a potent force in the fragmented society and exerted tremendous influence over the Shanghai laborers. By acting as an intermediary between workers, employers, and government officials, the Green Gang provided labor to employers and helped migrant workers make the difficult transition to city life. They also incited strikes, and curbed labor movements for different purposes. As a leading mediator in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, Du was assigned to various senior positions and became influential. Simultaneously, he whitewashed his dirty deeds via charity reported in the mass media to boost his reputation.