Xue arrived at the factory after dropping out of middle school. "There was a lot of pressure and the quality of education was not that high," she said. "I thought there was more to learn being out in the world, rather than staying in school."

Xue said many like her choose jobs in electronics manufacturing because the overtime means they can earn the highest salaries. At the same time, the facilities tend to be clean and air-conditioned

"I feel like there is no reason for anyone to feel pity for us. We are just here to make money. This is very normal," she said. "You put in work, and you get rewarded for it."

Xue now works at an NGO that has an office near the industrial park and provides education services to workers. That includes supplying books and computers and bringing in volunteers from colleges to teach different subjects.

"You don't really gain anything from these manufacturing jobs. It's just a short-term way to make money," she said. "If you waste your youth on the assembly line, then that's a big loss."