The Snakehead: An Epic Tale Of The Chinatown Underworld And The American Dream (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Sister Ping, the "snakehead" human smuggler at the center of this book, earned an estimated $40 million moving illegal Chinese immigrants into the United States. This story centers around her and one boat in particular, the Golden Venture, full of Fujianese travelers seeking a better life in the United States. In 1993, that boat ran aground in the Rockaways in Queens and 300 desperate people spilled out. At the time, the government decided to make an example out of the group, deporting many of them (who later faced torture back in China and, in almost all cases, ended up coming back illegally anyway), sending some to other countries, and throwing many in jail.Around the same time, the Clinton administration reversed the government's previous policy of allowing asylum for people fleeing China based on its enforcement of the "one-child" rule (forced sterilization and abortion). That immigration policy, based in America's bizarre abortion politics, had arguably enticed pretty much any fertile Chinese person to come to the United States without documentation, show up at any airport and request asylum. Many of these people were economic migrants, really looking for a better job, using the lax asylum law as a cover, although many were truly persecuted. At the time, asylum-seekers were entitled to a hearing (which could take months or years), and were given working papers and let go to find jobs while waiting for their claims to be heard. This has all changed now, but the author tells us that this was one of the reasons - compounded, obviously, by the terrible situation in China - for a virtual flood of undocumented Chinese arriving in New York in the 1980's and 90's. The book is fascinating. Near the end, I was particularly moved by the generosity and spirit of the people in York County, Pennsylvania, who rallied around the Chinese prisoners jailed in their hometown. They supported the men imprisoned there (some for four years), advocating on their behalf and providing a support network when they were eventually released, but not granted legal status. One woman, Beverly Church, still reenters a private bill for consideration by Congress at the beginning of each new term, all these years later, in hopes that the passengers from the Golden Venture might obtain legal resident status in this country.Sister Ping was eventually captured and prosecuted, and the author describes the evidence base, trial, conviction, and appeal. I did look up and read the Second Circuit opinion affirming the Southern District of New York's judgment of conviction of (1) conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling, trafficking in ransom proceeds, hostage taking, and money laundering, (2) money laundering, and (3) trafficking in ransom proceeds. Apparently Sister Ping believed that the Second Circuit didn't go for her argument that she never engaged in smuggling for profit (she insisted that she just wanted to help people) because the trial court judge, Michael Mukasey, had since been appointed as the Attorney General of the United States, and the Second Circuit would not be so rude as to reverse his opinion. I don't know about that - the Second Circuit also says that there was "overwhelming evidence that Ping knew such smuggling activities were engaged in for purposes of profit," so it seems to me that they affirmed Mukasey because he was right and she was guilty. Sister Ping appealed the Second Circuit opinion to the Supreme Court of the United States, but it denied certiorari, as Keefe suspected it would.In the meantime, Sister Ping also filed a habeas corpus petition seeking to vacate, set aside, or otherwise correct her conviction and (35-year) sentence, but it was denied on September 27, 2010. She is now incarcerated in Danbury, Connecticut. Fantastic book! Okay, it wasn't as entertaining as any of Conn Iggulden's books, but it still more than kept my interest, and I learned a lot! I appreciated the way the author looked at the illegal immigration issue -- and especially people smuggling and illegal immigration from China -- from many different angles. Before anyone makes a hard and fast decision about illegal immigration -- and certainly before anyone votes on the issue, he or she should read this book, as well as consider how white Americans treated native Americans, of course!"The Snakehead" was Book No. 28 for 2013!
What do You think about The Snakehead: An Epic Tale Of The Chinatown Underworld And The American Dream (2009)?
A very well researched and written book on a very interesting subject.
—niara
slow reading but fascinating story about illegal Chinese immigration
—Krystal
So much action and intrigue! A great, interesting read.
—nae
Well written nonfiction that reads like a novel.
—rockstar18ify
In case you want to feel grateful for your life.
—Morayma
