The Chinese migrants risking it all for the American dream | 101 East Documentary 

Thank you for watching this episode of 101 East, which is the first part of an investigation into the 'zouxian' phenomenon, where record numbers of Chinese nationals are taking a dangerous route through Latin America to seek asylum in the US. In the next episode, we explore what happens to Chinese asylum seekers once they reach America and investigate the shadowy industries profiting off them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p1K1uUM_5yM.html

I have mainland Chinese colleagues here in Australia that complained all these are lies and China is still the best country to live in. And yet their entire families are all here in Australia. Really says a lot about their mentality.

Can someone tell me how that family came here in May 2023 already living in a nice house in LA, car, abundance of food while I'm working and living with four room mates just to make ends meet?

As a Chinese, I have mixed feelings about this, I can only understand their reasoning for risking their lives to flee to a certain degree, but what if they are real criminals, they will say or do anything to escape justice, including disguise as an asylum seeker, there is no way to know for sure

I live in The US there is no such things as the “American dream” anymore, everything is so expensive, stop coming here holy shit.

Thank you for watching. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Watch more documentaries from 101 East and stay updated with the stories from across Asia and the Pacific: ru-vid.com/group/PLzGHKb8i9vTyyefrSwaJ5qEmwub4jF1H6 More on 101 East: ‣ Twitter: twitter.com/AJ101East ‣ Facebook: facebook.com/AJ101East ‣ Instagram: instagram.com/aj101East

I met some of these people in Thailand after COVID. There was a small group of Chinese who kept to themselves at our hostel. One day I overheard them in Chinese repeatedly talking about my country Mexico which got me to talk with them. They were quite happy to learn I could speak Chinese but more excited to learn I was from Mexico. They started asking me a bunch of questions about crossing the border into the US to which I bluntly told them I had no idea about and discouraged it. I asked where they got these crazy ideas from and they said that people were posting videos and tutorials of how to cross into the US online. The Chinese government hard handed approach to COVID was what made them leave. They wanted to go both for the freedom and economic benefits but they had a very naive and overly optimistic view of the US. They saw the high wages US workers were making but had no idea as to the incredibly high living costs associated with living there. I tried explaining that there was a housing shortage and that their expectations for life in the US would set them for disappointment but they either didn't believe me or brushed off my criticism. I also tried encouraging them to go to German or Australia instead (places which I feel would be better and easier for them to enter) but they seemed dead set on just going to the US. Unfortunately I don't know where they are now as Wechat is blindly and constantly blocking and deleting accounts in SE Asia without reason🙄.

In a few years these very same people will talk about how there is no racism in America and how I am lazy and how I should pull myself by my bootstraps.

Emotional damage!!! To get asylum approval these people will say any BS they can about their country.

Its called the American dream because you can dream about how good it used to be haha

Some of these will be fleeing prosecution rather than persecution.... Some will be fleeing for genuine reasons whilst many are probably fleeing financial problems, or pending prosecutions for criminal acts.

Everyone is not innocent, everyone is pretending to be stupid

Illegal immigration is not welcome, follow the legal process.

Asylum seekers is a lie

Most of these Chinese migrants would claim political persecution as the reason for leaving China. However, if you ask them about their view on Taiwan independence, the majority will fiercely argue against it. In their point of view, it is absolutely righteous for themselves to enter the US illegally to pursue their freedom, but it is sinful for the Taiwanese population wanting to live freely outside the ruling of Beijing dictatorship.

American dream? do it the legal way and what about those people who actually waited and spent hundreds of dollars just to be in the US and you get to see this mess.. it's just mind blowing how we ended up this way.

Naive people. The grass is not greener in America.

So these are the Chinese parents who said they travelled 1000 km everyday through forests and rivers to get to school....

The saddest part is with all these trouble, they will realize one day that American Dream is not there anymore.

These Chinese individuals were unable to obtain a visa from the US government. However, they were still free to leave China with their Chinese passport issued by the Chinese government. They paid for their own flight to Central America and faced no obstacles or harassment from the Chinese authorities during their journey. It is interesting to note that despite their supposed desperation, they were able to leave China without issue. It's also ironic that they were leaving China legally, only to enter the US illegally.

If people really from poor countries, and even cannot get enough food, there is no any disrespect for them to do that, but like those people, they are not only liars, but also they even like to damage their country for their own interests, it doesn't deserve even single respect

You leave China claiming your are persecuted because of your Christian religion. Why don't they claim asylum in Ecuador?

What American dream? Americans can't even get it.

Many of those people escape China for economic reasons. They will realize that life in the USA is not like in Hollywood movies and that not everyone is rich. Most had a better life in China (they even had money for this expensive journey that many Americans don't have ) than they will have in the USA especially if they are not young or/ and can't speak English.

Idk, they are acting like it’s a brave thing to do to flee to the US illegally. As a fellow Chinese living in America, I am not supporting or opposing their decision. However I hope your intent is pure and I wish you all best of luck. You will face many many challenges once you arrived, be prepared for the wrose and I wish you the best.

The promise of $60K average salary and easy immigration law makes America sounds promising.

Sorry guys but it's not American dream anymore, it has turn to American nightmare.

As an American graduate living overseas, these foolish people will live to regret their action later on.

Many of those that entered US watched video on Chinese media known as "Xiao Hong Shu" that teaches ways to enter US illegally. It is very common that many borrowed money from friends and relatives, max out credit cards or take loans from banks with no intention to pay back the money.

The american dream is dead...RIP America

I'm tired of this notion that just because a person wants a US Visa they should get one. Every country has reasons why applications get denied. Not everyone who gets denied should be given asylum.

How these people afford to live in LA is mind boggling?

Dosent seem fair to those that go the right way. There’s a billion plus Chinese if too many get the same idea soon will be China instead of USA. How come you just have to cross the border illegally and then you can settle in LA dosent seem fair to me.

to obtain asylum approval, these stowaways do their best to repeat their lines. Something must be done to stop this illegal entry. This is smuggling, not the route, and extremely unfair to those who legally enter the borders.

If you can’t get a visa and you have to sneak in, what makes you think you are wanted here?

"It's call the american dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."

My sister in law has applied to get into the USA legally for 10 years now, and is still waiting. It’s immoral to cut the lines while others are waiting

Jackson has house even locals can't afford working 30 years...😂😂

America is full. Not of cheeseburgers but expensive homes, endless debt, and a declining currency

Why is the US allowing easy entry to these Chinese, when it takes drastic action against the Marshallese citizens whose country had made sacrifices for the advancement of the US? Is the US our real true friend?

Suffering 30 days and 30 nights traveling is nothing than more than being in jail in DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAIL

In every country there’ll be people trying to leave their country illegally to escape arrest. Question is why these people decided to do illegal things when in their own country? Actually, these people who left will regret later when they found the new country is not as rosy as they thought it to be.

I recently visited china and i was amazed by how safe and prosperous it all seems. I do think there is an element of misguidedness to this migration, i think that chinese who flee stand to lose a lot by leaving. They also gain other "freedoms" but ive been wondering what freedom even means. I am mexican and while we can profess religion here freely, i (de facto) do not have the freedom of mobility. I cannot go outside at night by myself because it is unsafe and 11 women daily are murdered in feminicides. Maybe in china you lose some freedoms, but you have others that you take for granted. I have never felt safer or less sexualized in my life than in my tourism trip to visit china. Just some thoughts..very interesting video.

The dream of being a hypercapitalism wage slave who can't afford a house and barely an apartment working 50 to 60 hours a week.

I do not understand why people still believe that America is the American Dream, when there are already changes and differences between now and the past. And America's immigration policy is limited. To be honest, we, the youth, were dissatisfied with our governments due to political decisions, new rules, and other issues.

Soooo unfair. I’ve been waiting for two years to immigrate from Canada to USA. My husband is American and our sons are American/canadian dual citizens. Although I’ve been approved and paid thousand in fees to USA gov … I still have yet to receive my paperwork or green card. Years. But these people have special privileges I don’t understand. It’s like the process honours only the illegal immigrants but can’t be bothered with those of us who did things the right and legal way. Frustrating to see all that is going on over there while I’m still unable to join my family.

I wonder why all these newly arrived asylum seekers all live in big bright houses and people who were born in the country or who have been living in the country for years legally have trouble finding apartments.

Thanks to the great American propaganda machines.😂😂

Another wave of misguided belief that America is the best. They will find out life is difficult there - language barrier, cultural barrier, racism and societal issue will bring tremendous challenges. I wish them all the best.

May be these Chinese dont know that US National debt is $35 trillions and most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. I hope they bring enough money to survive the dream.

There is no American dream people! We are struggling ourselves in maybe different ways

The American dream has turned into the American nightmare.

Unbelievable Stupidity, What is American Dream !!!

9:42 Pouring black ink on a flag is truly disrespectful, and claiming asylum under false pretenses as a Christian is deceitful. It's heartbreaking to see the struggles migrants endure to reach the USA through South America, but it's hard to trust their intentions sometimes

Hey , AlJazeera, how about you do some impartial journalism and interview the U.S. citizens to hear what their thoughts are.

Most of them are gonna regret it big time I reckon. If someone can't make it in their native country, it's unlikely they can make it in a country, where they do not speak much of the language, and worse still, for those who are past their prime.

I'm all for asylum seekers seeking to escape repression, but how many of these people had their Visa rejected because they were from prominent CCP families looking to escape with their ill gotten gains? Or worse if they are seeking to implant themselves here to do the CCP's bidding?

" a gang of people pointed guns at me" Welcome to america

As bad as complainers think life is like here in the USA, there are people who are willing to crawl over broken glass to get here.

I’m so upset because I’m a genuinely married here in the United States ,why I’m upset!! because when I passed my citizenship interview and the officer said wait for few months for the approval of my oath taking ceremony sadly until now nothing later or mail from immigration it’s almost a year now of waiting if I’m going forward or what nothing , it’s really prostrating , and guess what guys they investigated me and my partner about our marriage if it is real marriage or not, close to 1 year nothing happen, but these guy, Crossing illegally here in the UNITED STATES without any hesitation the IMMIGRATION gave them an asylum after few days, so RIDICULOUS

wow us is experiencing a whole new level of alien invasion

These people are really misguided. They have no idea what they have left behind.

Gullible, naive and seriously uninformed people exist everywhere.

A truly "real and humble" video capturing "America".

America is a grave

Why do people from other countries feel entitled to the American dream.

They can practice any religion in any of those Latin countries , just another lame excuse. And the lady who threw paint , shd be happy she is safe and work on her next chapter of life instead of focusing her energy on demonsing China. What is freedown , it is subjective, sensitive and like onions layers....all the best for those you who made it

Grass is always greener on the other side.

Go home if you're not a LEGAL IMMIGRANT

Laborer earns $20 an hour in the USA . Which laborer wouldn’t want that ? I am a Malaysian. My forefathers came from China on a rickety ship for a better living …..it is a normal thing.

Under normal circumstances, various aspects of life in China are not restricted, it's just that censorship of speech and behavior is relatively strict, especially after the pandemic. As long as you don't speak out in government settings or joke among friends, it's fine. Most people here may have been subjected to political persecution or have a strong dislike for the Communist Party. It is also possible that they lack the ability to live in China and have an overly idealistic view of American utopian society.

Al Jazeera is usually better at vetting its sources and news. But I doubt that is all those people did to fled China was being christian. Theres lots of christians in China who practice openly. So there is definitely more to the cause of them fleeing China. I wish Al Jazeera did better at this story cause it gives me U.S. media bias slant big time by not seeking to know more of the back story

Trick 1 how to move entire family to US. Carrying a baby splashing china flag in an event and claiming ccp oppress their relatives in mainland.

What they dreamed of in America before is not realistic, nothing is easy and they will realize how difficult it is to start the life of an American unless they have lots of money to start with.

So I guess Juan's taco shop will be turned into Won's taco shop.😊

These Chinese believe it is much much easier for them to make money and become Millionaires in the US than any where else.😂

Do these migrants have anything to offer for their new country? My guess is:no.

What a terrible world if people think America is a better option

These people couldn't hand in a application to American embassy to go to US legally due to broken financial credibility or poor character reference, however, they still afford to pay USD50k for this trip. They also carried plenty cash in their packpacks. They will find all sorts of horrible excuses to make sure they get a refugee visa.

Lol…the “American Dream” who’s gonna tell them. 😂😂😂

YEAH! You can't have a visa but you can walk through our fence, welcome to America...👌😃

There's no high speed rail here, you're set up for disappointment!

We don’t want these illegal Chinese coming the USA as they do not have interest in upholding the American constitution or values. These groups are just taking advantage of the American economic situation and do not contribute to the success of the USA as a society. Rather all of these people further strengthen shadoq parallel societies within America and create chaos. I hope the those who uphold the us constitution will put an end to this chaotic invasion that is trying to undermine American prosperity

Imagine risking it all then find American dream nothing like you been told and people are homeless in streets of America 😂

I thought Chinese love their country 😢

How come people with good character and morals commit a crime so easily

depot all these scammers

Moving to USA would be the worst decision of their lives

"I can't speak or think freely" Bro gonna learn hard lesson as soon as he utters a bad word about Israel

American dream? The Freddy Krueger's ones?

Not all are going to American for American dream, some are running from debt. There is another documentary made by CNA on this same issue. I am sure some are running to seek democracy and religious freedom but not all.

American dream had stopped in the late 90's people...lol..

Why is the government letting so many migrans enter the country? I don't understand, the US is having an economoc crisis, we the citizens are suffering and on top of that we have to pay for their food, housing, and health insurance. Illinios where I live is planning to increase the taxes in big scale to pay for their needs, why do I have to pay for them, I work so hard and I've never receive a penny from the government but these people do 😢

something is really wrong with these people

America is FULL! There's too many people here. Why don't people stay in their countries and build it up like Americans did!!??

Life is much harder in the west nowdays, after Covid...economically speaking for sure its harder. In China life is incredibly cheap and if you don't look for trouble and mind your business you will be much better off. *I'm a UK citizen living in China and this is how I feel after living and having family in both countries.

These so called Chinese migrant stories just make us the once boat people laugh. Should their journeys if not be best characterised as purely enjoyable entertainments then nothing can come close. The sort of religious suppression, freedom of speech, fears of safety to the people in China has made no more sense when so many foreigners who have chosen to live in China today suprise the world with their real experiences of how enjoyable, dynamic and safe, harmonious and affordable living the country can provide to its people. Even these foreigners living in China have had a real life comparison so precious for the "Chinese migrants", it can't help foolish and irrational people not to make the wrong decision which has put themselves and their families in a dead end of no return.

From the great wall of China to the great wall of America

What American Dream? There is now the American Nightmare waiting for you.

I bet ordinary American people don’t welcome them.