The influx of nearly 200,000 migrants to the city in the last two years has depleted city resources, in large part because of their need for shelter. However, a group from one country has been largely absent from those lines of people waiting for shelter. 

Chinese nationals are frequently depending on family and friends, and the number of them crossing the southern border might surprise some, according to advocates. 


What You Need To Know

  • According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in March of this year, agents on the southern border encountered more than 2,000 Chinese nationals — a big jump compared to March 2021 when there were 24 encounters

  • The Migration Policy Institute said New York state is their top destination

  • Liu, 19, who came into the U.S. in April through the U.S.-Mexico border, said he is fleeing religious persecution by the Chinese government over his Catholic faith

  • The Chinese-American Planning Council, a nonprofit organization that's been helping some of the new Chinese immigrants, said the new Chinese arrivals aren’t going to city shelters because of language and cultural barriers. Instead, they rely on the assistance of family and friends for support, especially in Asian-dominant enclaves like Flushing

A 19-year-old has been traveling thousands of miles with rosary beads. He brought them from Fuzhou, China — a city of more than 7 million people — where he was born and raised by his grandmother. 

Liu only wants to use his last name because he is fleeing religious persecution by the Chinese government over his Catholic faith.

After the U.S. government denied him a visitor visa last year, he decided to come through the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Liu flew from China to Malaysia to Turkey to then Mexico before crossing into the U.S. in April. 

He spoke to NY1 in Mandarin through a translator.

“The whole time, I was alone and all by myself. I was very scared,” Liu said.

He said his grandmother used her savings to pay for his trip and told NY1 that he saw other Chinese nationals making the journey.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in March of this year, agents on the southern border encountered more than 2,000 Chinese nationals — a large increase from March 2021, when there were just 24 encounters

According to The Migration Policy Institute, New York state is their top destination and many are now living in Asian-dominant enclaves like Flushing in  Queens.

Staff members at the Chinese-American Planning Council, also known as CPC, has been helping new immigrants since 1965, but said they have their hands full. 

“Low income immigrant Asian families, they know to come to CPC. Many of them, as soon as they come off the plane, they ask their neighbors, where can I go to enlist for meals, where can I go to find services, where do I go to enlist my child in school, they say CPC,and so we’re very honored and privileged to be that resource for the community,” Mitchel Wu, the director of Queens Community Services at CPC, said.

CPC also offers ESL classes and legal aid services for those seeking asylum or a green card.

Amy Chong, who does immigrant counseling at CPC, said she has a waitlist of people she’s trying to help.

“Most of them [are] because of the [politics], they looking for freedom because of in their country they cannot speak up and they got arrested,” Chong, ActionNYC navigator at CPC, said.

According to CPC, the new Chinese arrivals aren’t going to city shelters because of language and cultural barriers. Instead, they rely on the assistance of family and friends for support.

Liu also has a family he depends on. He’s living rent-free with his great uncle. He said spends his free time in Flushing because it makes him feel at home. 

Liu is applying for asylum and wants to study English so he can get a full-time job, and support himself in America.

“I feel very, very lucky, happy and grateful that I can come to the U.S. From what I understand, America is a freedom country, at least for religion,” he said.