Claiming kinship through ‘filial heart’: migrant care workers in ageing Shanghai

Drawing on the ethnography of migrant care workers in eldercare in Shanghai, this article reveals the evolving landscape of caregiving and kinship practices in contemporary China. The ethnography presents the emic perspective of care workers, who actively develop symbolic trajectories for claiming kinship through ‘filial heart’ in caregiving. This not only serves as a marker of belonging, but also as a justification of their work's dignity, an integral part of their self‐narrative as moral individuals, and a vital imagined support network. Filial piety, a central moral tenet in Chinese society, governs not only kinship practices but is also deeply intertwined with caregiving practices. By unpacking the concept of ‘filial heart’ as a detachable element of filial piety, this article argues that caregiving hinges on a practical distinction between affect (filial heart) and action (care labour). It investigates both kinship and caregiving practices in tandem, exploring how ‘filial heart’ can be used to constitute a novel form of kinship relation and shape the moral discourses and practices of caregiving in commodified care settings.