This Thanksgiving in the United States marks the first or second for many Chinese immigrants who have come to America seeking freedom from the authoritarian and oppressive regime in mainland China. Some of them risked their lives to make the journey to the United States, expressing gratitude for escaping communist suppression and enjoying the freedom they have found in America.
The origins of Thanksgiving in the United States can be traced back to 1620 when a group of English Puritans set sail on the Mayflower to escape religious persecution. They arrived in what is now the Plymouth area in November of that year, facing hardships in the harsh winter. With the help of the local Native Americans who taught them farming, hunting, and fishing, they had a bountiful harvest in the fall of the following year. This celebration, welcoming their one-year anniversary in North America, invited the Native Americans to join in giving thanks for their assistance and the abundance provided by the heavens. In 1863, President Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
The United States has always embraced immigrants from around the world, including those forced to leave their homeland to escape persecution. In recent years, due to the extreme lockdown measures and deteriorating human rights conditions in mainland China during the pandemic, there has been an influx of Chinese people fleeing their country. According to statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from 2013 to 2022, less than 16,000 Chinese citizens illegally crossed the southern U.S. border, averaging less than 1,600 people per year. However, in 2023, over 31,000 Chinese nationals illegally entered the United States through the southern border, nearly 20 times the annual average over the past decade.
Flushing, the Chinese community in New York City, has become a common first stop for many Chinese immigrants arriving in the United States. Some of them shared their stories this Thanksgiving, explaining why they took the risk to leave China and expressing their gratitude for being in America.
Zhu Qiaoqiao, born in 1998, said to reporters, “I begged my way to the land of freedom in America.”
He flew from Hong Kong on July 16, 2023, traveling through countries like Turkey, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and more, taking over 40 days to reach the United States on August 28th. When he left, he only had 30,000 RMB on him, “just enough for transportation. Most of the time, I had to beg for food. People in South America saw me in tattered and dirty clothes because I hadn’t washed them, I looked like a beggar.”
Zhu Qiaoqiao said he felt compelled to make the journey because life in China was too oppressive. He expressed, “Living in China was too restrictive, controlling everything from the sky to the ground to reproduction. I wanted to experience what freedom in another country felt like.”
When Zhu Qiaoqiao was still a freshman at Xi’an Translation College in 2018, he expressed dissatisfaction with the Chinese government on social media platforms, which led to him being reported. He was called out of class and taken to the police station. After being detained for questioning, he felt scared. He stated, “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with speaking a few words, criticizing the corruption and bribery of the Chinese government. Isn’t that normal?”
Zhu Qiaoqiao mentioned leaving China for another reason: young people in China have no upward mobility. “Most of my friends are just living passively. Everything relies on connections; without connections, everything is difficult. It’s too dark there.”
“I just wanted to leave that place early. Looking back, I feel a bit scared. I still wouldn’t dare to leave with 30,000 RMB now, but I was forced to. Life in China was too oppressive. Now that I think about it, it was a very correct decision to use that 30,000 RMB to leave, it was like buying a new life with that money.”
Expressing his gratitude for America, Zhu Qiaoqiao said he can freely express his opinions here. On November 26, he stood in front of the library in Flushing to support the people of Hong Kong and protest the heavy sentencing of 47 individuals, stating, “Being in America is indeed very free. The U.S. government does not require me to love the Communist Party, nor do they post banners violating human dignity.”
Wu Pingqi, who participated in new citizen movements for human rights and civic engagement in Hubei, arrived in the United States through the journey in 2023. He described his time in China as “extremely painful and anxiety-inducing.” From 2014 to 2023, he used WeChat to voice his thoughts on “civic rights.”
“I expressed my despair for this society, my sorrow for society, my fear of the Communist Party, and my longing for human rights all through my WeChat.” He continued, “I used WeChat—this was my only space to express my voice in this society. Originally, it was on my QQ space, but they shut it down. I posted some content on TikTok spreading universal values, but it was all blocked and taken down.”
As a result, he was detained and interrogated by the Chinese authorities, continuously monitored and harassed. The neighborhood committee and landlord labeled him as an “unstable element,” forcing him to move every two years.
Having read many Western philosophical works since he was young, such as Montesquieu’s “The Spirit of Laws,” Locke’s discourse on the separation of powers in “Two Treatises of Government,” and Hayek’s writings on free-market economy and individual liberty, Wu Pingqi was influenced by Western civilization, thought, and political systems. He explained, “Through this reading, I compared the Communist Party’s authoritarian regime in China, this evil dictatorship, to a great disaster for humanity and the entire nation.”
Upon discovering a way to escape to the United States, Wu Pingqi didn’t hesitate to leave China, seeking to escape authoritarianism and pursue freedom. He mentioned that after he started his journey, the local police visited his family, threatening them, “to make sure he doesn’t cause trouble outside. If anything happens, it won’t be easy for your kids who are at home.” Hearing this threat, his family became frightened and tearful, ultimately being compelled to leave as well.
Having lived in the United States for over a year, Wu Pingqi expressed his thanks for the country’s democratic freedoms. He said, “I am thankful for the civilization of democracy and freedom in the United States, which not only made me feel free but also shielded me from the harassment of community committees and grassroots minions of the Communist Party, without any governmental interference. Although my work may be demanding, the freedoms of individuals and their spirits are guaranteed.”
“Moreover, they provide me with a work permit, allowing me to support myself, offering free medical care for me and free education for my children. This is unimaginable in China. When I fell ill and needed to go to the emergency room, I saw on the wall written in six languages: no matter what happens, in times of emergency illness, you will be served. It made me feel respected and protected.”
Wu Pingqi concluded, “This demonstrates that in the United States, human life is valued over national sovereignty. Human rights are above sovereignty, not just a slogan. The right to life is protected, regardless of where you come from. This is the spirit of America, its values and beliefs. That’s why I really like and love America, and I am grateful for America.”