immigration just stop me on the highway, arrest me and deport me back to china? what about my sons? my wife? without me, it will be a disaster for my family. in vincent s situation, he has two children, never been to china, doesn t speak the language. doesn t understand the culture. so how can they function in china? they re americans. that s manhattan, downtown. downtown? right. as i watch vincent and his son, i think of the journey he s endured to get to this point. oh, my god! do you know what that is up there? yeah. it s the statue of liberty. the statue of liberty. and i realize it s for moments like this.
i think my father and my mother were very, very proud. one memory that comes to me is when they got their citizenship and they cried because they said, we love america. the restaurant gave my family a foothold here, a place to land and launch. today that pattern continues. across america in nearly every small town is a chinese restaurant. and many are gateways to citizenship for china s poorest immigrants. more than 50 years after my own grandfather began his journey here in america, vincent chou is following in his footsteps. when i was in china, i want to learn new things. i want to see the world. america to me is opportunity.
an activist? a release. like i would be in jail for a long time. just my voice. my voice is all the workers voice, finally have a chance to do something, say something. after 16 years of being in this country, inventory scene is just now getting the courage to stand up, but there are thousands of chinese restaurant workers throughout the u.s. and so many of them live under the radar and in the shadows, which is such a stark contrast to how so many other chinese are coming to this country now. men like my grandfather and vincent came to america and had to fight for a place here. but what if there were an easier way? it s called birth tourism. i m about to explore a nearly undetectable industry providing a shortcut to citizenship that s inspiring a backlash.
broke and deeply in debt. what happens if you don t pay back the snake heads? i heard some stories. they got kidnapped. they would get killed. they would get beat up very bad. vincent needed a job and fast. you know who likes to be in control? this guy. check it out! self-appendectomy! oh, that s really attached. that s why i rent from national. where i get the control to choose any car in the aisle i want, not some car they choose for me. which makes me one smooth operator. ah! still a little tender. (vo) go national. go like a pro.
it s photos, pay stuff. first birth certificate. marriage certificate. my birth certificate. i m joining vincent for an appointment with jeannie, an immigration advocate. she s working pro bono to help guide vincent through the complicated process of getting a green card. what s his status right now? basically his case is pending. we submitted his petition and we haven t received an approval yet. reporter: so how long have you been waiting? previously application was about may 2006. so you ve been trying to get a green card for 11 years? right. at least 11 years. vincent s wife is a permanent resident and his children are u.s. citizens, but unless vincent gets a green card, he faces the possibility of deportation. why is it so important for you to try to get a green card? what if the people from