A domestic worker cleans a window during a government-organized skills competition in Hefei, Anhui province, Dec. 16, 2018. Wang Jun/People Visual

China’s 35M Domestic Workers, Silent No More

There are an estimated 35 million domestic workers in China. Mostly clustered in large urban areas like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi’an, they perform valuable services including cleaning, cooking, and caring for children and the elderly.

Yet for all their ubiquity, they are easily overlooked amid the bustle of China’s cities. Most urban residents seemingly either don’t understand…