0:00 - Introduction and background, how he first heard about the Chinese asylum seekers on national, how a member of York College who was a Chinese national described the refugees as economic refugees, how he was called upon to serve as a translator for the detainees, learning firsthand of their living conditions, becoming a cultural resource for the community
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2:30 - How he served as an interpreter initially for the national press and magazines, got to learn about the plight of the refugees through their stories, the one that struck him was about how family planning and the One Child Policy was implemented, how implementation differs in the city where is he from, Shanghai compared to the rural villages where these men were from, the extreme enforcement measures taken
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4:02 - How he got to know people like Joan Maruskin and the People of the Golden Vision, joining their vigils outside of the prison, how there was a huge cultural gap between the People of Golden Vision and the Chinese refugees, how he became a cultural bridge, was able to get updates about the situation inside the detention center from the detainee perspective
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7:57 - Helping people understand Chinese culture, many of the paper sculptures represent different facets of Chinese society and culture, how refugees had a different interpretation of the Statue of Liberty, explains the imagery of the dragon and phoenix, had purchased the sculptural pair as gifts to a couple in Wichita Minnesota
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11:02 - How views of the prison guards varied, egregious treatment that some of the refugees faced, problems with the food, recalls an instance when one of the detainees was released early and the prison guards came out to congratulate him and to celebrate the grand occasion
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12:57 - How he developed a close relationship with the chaplain, explains that the chaplains have a lot of power in the prisons, the differences in access given to the Christian pastors and the Buddhist group, how he took issue with the prison deputy decorating the office with paper sculptures from the detainees, challenged the prison guards and their treatment of the refugees
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16:15 - Celebrations on the day the Golden Venture men were released from detention, how he wrote articles on the 20th anniversary of that event to explain the case to the public and to thank lawyers for their work, how the Golden Venture refugees had become successful and productive members of society, how he passed on the philosophy of paying it forward, the most important legacy of that saga, how important it is to not stereotype the Golden Venture refugees and their supporters
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26:39 - The journey from Shanghai to the United States in 1987 and how lost he felt in a new culture and society, how he struggled and performed poorly as a student, how his host family treated him like he was one of their own, how his host father taught him to help others and pay it forward, how the Golden Venture refugees wanted to find a way to pay him back for all the help they received
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31:34 - How the prison guards themselves were transformed through the experience and how they came out to congratulate the men when they were released from the detention facility
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32:59 - How he was unable to win over support from the Chinese community, how he was able to win over support from die-hard Republicans who were initially anti-immigration, how attitudes have shifted towards indefinite detention as inhumane
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40:38 - How York still remains a very conservative community, how his older daughter has a clear memory of the Golden Venture, the role the refugees played in her understanding of how much we are blessed with in America despite its problems
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