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American Progressives argue that the American Dream is over. But for the thousands of Chinese immigrants who made the long and perilous journey through Latin America and eventually reached the U.S.-Mexico border, the American dream is alive and well, risking everything they have. worth exposing.
Reuters reported that between October 2022 and March 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested more than 6,500 Chinese nationals at the U.S.-Mexico border, up 15 from the same period last year. more than doubled.
For Chinese fleeing China, coming to the United States via Latin America is a long, expensive and dangerous journey.
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves during an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
The 2,300-mile journey usually begins with a flight to Ecuador, one of the few South American countries that Chinese nationals can enter without a visa. According to the wall, Chinese with the means typically pay about $60,000 or more from Ecuador for “more direct or safer smuggling routes, such as flights to Mexico,” where “snakehead agents” are allegedly bribing customs officials to let Chinese nationals into the country with forged travel documents. street journal.
An unprecedented number of illegal Chinese immigrants are flooding us
Cash-strapped Chinese typically pay $7,000 to $10,000 for smugglers to take them to the U.S.-Mexico border through more indirect routes. They must pass through some of the most dangerous areas, including the jungles of Darien Gap and Mexico’s infamous Highway 101, known as the “Highway of Death”. Chinese immigrants are frequent victims of carjackings, robberies, sexual assaults and other violent crimes.
Economic and political reasons compelled these Chinese to make the long and dangerous journey to the United States. When China’s current dictator, Xi Jinping, seized power at the end of 2012, he promised his 1.4 billion people to “realize the Chinese dream: prosperity and national rejuvenation.” But the Chinese public soon realized that Mr. Xi’s “Chinese dream” was a nightmare.
Xi is the most ruthless dictator since Mao Zedong. He has brutally suppressed ethnic minorities, religious adherents, political opponents and party cadres. He also built a mass surveillance state to control the thoughts and actions of the Chinese people.
To the dismay of many Chinese, Mr. Xi removed the presidential term limit from China’s constitution, making him a dictator for life. With a focus on instilling a “red education” in China’s youth from kindergarten to college and encouraging unwavering loyalty to themselves and the Communist Party, he reminds older generations of Mao’s devastating Cultural Revolution. .
Most Chinese accepted limited political freedom in exchange for economic prosperity. But under Mr. Xi’s watch, China’s economic growth slowed markedly, largely because of Mr. Xi’s policies.
his The crackdown on some of China’s most successful tech companies and business elite has undermined investor confidence and weakened entrepreneurship. His intervention in China’s property market led to the bankruptcy of China’s largest real estate company and falling home prices, leaving many Chinese people feeling their lives tied to unfinished housing projects.
Biden administration again increases number of immigrants allowed into US via controversial app
The last straw for many Chinese people, especially the Chinese youth, is the “zero corona” policy brutally enforced by President Xi over the past three years, which has destroyed the Chinese economy and caused immeasurable pain and suffering to the Chinese people. gave After “white paper” protests by Chinese youth in several big cities late last year, the Chinese government suddenly reversed its COVID-19 policy without much preparation or explanation, leading to a chaotic reopening. , further undermining some people’s last remaining confidence in Xi’s leadership.
At present, China’s economic recovery after COVID-19 has stalled, with the unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds reaching 20.4%.
The lack of political freedom and economic opportunity has led many Chinese to seek ways to leave China. China’s upper classes are leading the wave of immigration, and the desire to leave China spills over into the middle class and ordinary Chinese citizens. One of the most popular internet terms on Chinese social media is “street”, which means entering the United States illegally via Latin America. It’s a Chinese characteristic of “voting with your feet”.
Chinese nationals on a tight budget, or who want to leave China quickly, have seen relatively long wait times for U.S. visas and illegal border crossings due to the Biden administration’s lax border controls. The running line is selected because of the idea that it has little impact.
Illegal border crossings have relatively little impact, thanks to the Biden administration’s lax border controls. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnick, File)
As many Chinese who entered the U.S. via the track line shared their experiences and tips online, more felt encouraged to follow suit despite the dangers they might face. . Chinese nationals make up a small percentage of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, but a portion is growing rapidly.
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The increasing number of illegal Chinese immigrants further complicates our country’s current border crisis, but it is also a geopolitical opportunity with domestic political implications.
During the Cold War, President Lyndon Johnson used US immigration policies that gave Cuban immigrants special treatment to fight communism. Many Cuban immigrants have not only contributed significantly to the American economy, but have also become one of America’s most vocal anti-communist political forces.
President Lyndon Johnson used US immigration policy to fight communism, offering special treatment to Cuban immigrants. (Getty Images)
It is in the United States’ interest to apply the historical lessons learned from adjusting immigration policy to help Cuban political refugees to Chinese immigrants today.
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Suppose the United States expands legal immigration to help more Chinese who risk everything to leave China and become Americans. In that case, at the expense of Mr. Xi’s “brain drain,” our country would gain a more productive and patriotic population and win an important geopolitical victory.
Nothing embarrasses the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more than the sight of a Chinese American waving the Stars and Stripes and vowing to defend the U.S. Constitution. This same image will send a powerful counterargument to American progressives that the American Dream is alive and continues to inspire freedom-loving people.
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