Bio
Xuemei Cao is an assistant professor in the sociology department at Bentley University. Her research examines immigrants’ local and transnational social support networks, with a particular focus on family relations and aging experiences within the Chinese American community. She is generally interested in the studies of older adults’ health and community lives, aging and social services organizations, Asian Americans, race and ethnicity, and qualitative research methods.
Publications
Journal Articles
Sun, K. C., Cao, X. (2022). Intimacies Compared: The Emotional Responses of Family Caregivers to Internal and International Migration. American Behavioral Scientist, (66) 14 1846–1862. Cao, X. (2021). Intergenerational Relations of Older Immigrants in the United States. Sociology Compass , (15) 8 e12908. Cao, X., Sun, K. C. (2021). Seeking Transnational Social Protection During a Global Pandemic: The Case of Chinese Immigrants in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, (287) 114378. Torres, S., Cao, X. (2019). Improving Care for Elders Who Prefer Informal Spaces to Age-Separated Institutions and Health Care Settings. Innovation in Aging , (3) 3 igz019.
Book Chapters
Chung, A., Cao, X. (2023). Emotional Kinscripting: Managing Gender, Emotions, and Kinship among Children of Korean and Chinese Immigrant Families In Asha Jeffers and Catherine Bryan, (Eds.) The Daughters of Immigrants: A Multidisciplinary Study. 89-110.
Book Reviews
Cao, X., Torres, S. (2018). [Review of the book Gray Divorce: What We Lose and Gain from Mid-Life Splits ]. Gender & Society , (32) 6
Other(s)
Torres, S., Cao, X. (2020). Opinion | Coronavirus on College Campuses: Fight Fear and Racism Along with the OutbreakUSA Today. (Link)Stacy, T., Cao, X. (2018). Opinion | The Immigrant Grandparents America Needs.The New York Times. (Link)Presentations
Cao, X. (2025). Presented at the Duke-NUS Medical School, Centre for Ageing Research and Education CARE Experts Programme WebinarCao, X. (2024). “Cumulative Dis/Advantage and Older Immigrants’ Unequal Mobilization of Filial Care” Presented at theGerontological Society of America Annual Meeting Seattle Cao, X. (2024). “Assigning (un)Deservingness: How Do Aging Services Shape Older Immigrants’ Access to Formal Support” Presented at theAmerican Sociological Association Annual Meeting Montreal Cao, X. (2024). “Assigning (un)Deservingness: How Do Aging Services Shape Older Immigrants’ Access to Formal Support” Presented at theThe Problem Solving Sociology Virtual Coffee Hours Virtual Smith, C., Rawls, A. W., Everett, D., Cao, X., Mohammadpour, A., Carney, N. (2024). “Making “Taken For Granted” Racism Visible” Presented at the Bentley University MLK A day of Social Justice, Celebration, Listening, and Learning Waltham, MA Service
Department Service
Committee Member for The Sociology Department MLK Day Planning Committee 2024 - PresentThe Sociology Department 2023 - 2023University Service
Mentor (Faculty) for Tri-Alpha Honor Society 2024 - PresentCommittee Member for Dean of Arts and Sciences Search Committee 2024 - 2025Fall Open House 2024 - 2024Performer for Bentley University MLK 2024 Day of Social Justice 2024 - 2024Panelist for Bentley University MLK 2024 Day of Social Justice 2024 - 2024Fall Open House 2023 - 2023DEI Research Showcase 2023 - 2023Academic Exploration Days 2022 - 2022Professional Service
Committee Member for American Sociological Association International Migration Section 2024 - PresentCommittee Member for American Sociological Association (ASA), Aging and Life Course Section, Graduate Student Paper Award Committee 2025 - 2025Inaugural Research Coordinator for Association for Asian American Studies Social Science Caucus 2023 - 2025Conference/Workshop Organizer for Eastern Sociological Society, Transnational Asian/America Mini-conference 2024 - 2025Reviewer, Journal Article for The Gerontologist 2024 - 2024Social Media Co-coordinator for Association for Asian American Studies Social Science Caucus 2021 - 2023Reviewer, Journal Article for Journal of Gerontology Series B 2022 - 2022Reviewer, Journal Article for Family Relations 2022 - 2022
