It’s shocking what some people will do to try to get to the United States, and the documentary Golden Venture is a testament to that. Sometimes, it’s not about getting a better life in terms of money; rather, it’s getting a better life in terms of “freedom.” The film features the story of a four immigrants who were illegally smuggled from China in 1993 by way of cargo ship filled with hundreds of other illegal immigrants. The individuals each paid grand sums of money on the lucky chance that they would arrive on the shores of America, with nothing but bare necessities to start anew. Yet, what made these people willingly endure the hardships of the arduous journey, knowing there were more hardships to come once they landed in America? It was freedom. Most of these individuals had political issues with their home country (China) and were willing to sacrifice much for a seemingly meaningless journey–to them, this journey meant escaping the cruel laws imposed upon them, whether it be the limit on children or some other form of persecution. They all certainly had enough money to actually pay the “snakeheads” to smuggle them, so they didn’t really have economic reasons for leaving China. And yet, like any other immigrant, they saw a lower opportunity cost of coming here than staying in their home country, and they saw that the long-term benefits would overcome any short-term struggles.

Of course, as is the case with most illegal activities, there’s a chance of getting caught, and the Golden Venture had some rotten luck. The passengers aboard the ship were taken into custody upon arrival just south of New York and were arrested. They stayed in jail for years, though some escaped and some wished to be deported. Some of them finally got paroled in 1997, and even then, the 53 individuals let out on parole remained “illegal” immigrants. This meant that the state didn’t recognize them as legitimate people living in the U.S., and they didn’t receive any of the benefits of the government. This brings up the vehement stance of the American government against illegal immigration–is all this really necessary? This is a legitimately controversial issue, because the method by which illegal immigrants come here is definitely unacceptable, and it’s unfair for those who get real documents and get by the embassy. However, illegal immigrants are still humans and shouldn’t be treated badly, since many of them seek refuge or aid. Now that the number of illegal immigrants in this country have become significant, we need to devise a plan to deal with them, because they are a part of this country as is anybody else.