My name is tse Mei-ying.
But people call me sister tse.
I never believed in the American dream.
All I knew was how to survive.
I made a deal with a snakehead from Taiwan.
Prostitution for smuggling me to New York.
I knew we could die, but we all have our reasons.
Get on the ground!
At approximately 4 A.M. today,
a cargo boat with hundreds of smuggled Chinese migrants
was intercepted by the FBI off of rockaway beach, queens.
Chinese human smugglers, often known as snakeheads,
have shown a reckless disregard for the health
and safety of the migrants being smuggled.
Fuck out of my face.
Huh?
Anybody else want a home run?
Come on.
Now you shut the fuck up.
Welcome to america.
- Here you go, drink! - Cheers!
- Barbie. - Let's go.
Hey, come, sit.
You wanna eat, you guys hungry?
Maybe I went the light way before.
Hey you, how much you owe?
Drink, it'll make you feel better.
I owed $57,000 to the snakehead.
All that mattered was that I was here.
We all have our reasons.
I came to america to find my daughter.
Put some makeup on.
Time for work.
Hi.
My name is Steve, Steven.
What's your name?
Bitch, you bit me!
Fuck!
The fuck is going on?
Kill the bitch, dai mah!
She tried to kill me!
What would you do if somebody fucked you up?
Everyone has to work and earn here.
I can work, I can earn.
Just give me a chance.
I just gave you a chance.
That kind of work is for the weak.
I'm not weak.
Ah, so you think I'm unfair?
No.
There are rules.
Chinatown doesn't change for anyone.
Come on.
This is Hong.
He came here for the same reasons you did.
But he betrayed me, my family,
and you.
He set up the FBI ship raid.
So sister tse, what would you do
if someone betrayed your family?
I didn't always make the right choice,
but I always survived.
After I got caught, went to jail for eight years.
They took my daughter away, and she was adopted in New York.
When I got out, I vowed to find her.
Hey.
Uh, no.
Come on, let me show you.
At first...
Get the right amount of meat.
I didn't trust zareeb.
Water here.
Helps it stick, you know?
- But in the end... - Fold it over, pinch.
He was my only friend.
Voila.
You try.
We were the same.
You know, america is tough, but look,
at least we have jobs here.
We both depended on dai mah to survive.
Might need a lot more practice.
You'll get it, you're smart.
You from fuzhou or guangdong?
Where are you from?
You speak Chinese?
Just a little.
But my French is much better.
Look.
My wife come here soon.
Then I'm going to open my own restaurant,
zareeb's famous dumplings.
You have a family here?
Get back to work.
Come on, dai mah.
We got labor laws, I get breaks.
Hey, you hear boss lady, let's go.
No, you stay.
I've got some other jobs that pay more.
How much?
What'd you bring me?
Zareeb really does make good dumplings.
Can I trust you with money?
I need a new collector.
My clients respond better to women than pai gwut.
What's in it for me?
Give you a list, you collect.
I take $200 out each month of what you owe.
If they don't pay?
They will.
Feeling lucky?
Well here's your tip.
You should use the ones with the copper coating.
To round the corners, a dead giveaway.
There is a saying where I'm from.
When drinking water, remember the source.
I knew why I was here.
Four months I couldn't find her,
and then one day, there she was.
Every Sunday I followed her to church.
Even after eight years, a mother knows her daughter.
My search was over.
But I didn't know what to do next.
Dai mah's smuggling empire kept the peace
in a dying Chinatown underworld.
Import-export companies, truck drivers
and employment agencies all depended on her.
For them, smuggling was harmless.
But everyone knew this wouldn't last.
If they kept quiet, they got to eat.
Even Rambo's girlfriend sinh
got closer to the operation every day.
Pai gwut remained loyal.
And no matter how mad he got,
no wrong respect Rambo.
Everyone knew who fed them.
Alright, y'all better put your hands,
put your motherfucking hands up!
Shut up!
Thank you for coming.
My first birthday party I've ever had in my life.
I hate all of you fuckers!
Not one of you visited me when I was locked up!
So fuck you!
I wanna dedicate this evening to the one woman
that means everything to me.
I love you, ma.
That's my mom!
I'm gonna sing you a song, ma.
What the fuck,
- you think you can touch me? - What the fuck?
- You don't get to touch her! - What the fuck?
Big bro, big bro!
No, no, chill, big bro!
Chill, big bro!
Big bro, chill, chill!
Your soba better.
Let me help.
No, I don't need help.
Come on, sister tse, everybody needs help sometime.
How long have you been working for them?
About three years now.
I was here before Rambo got out.
What did he do?
You didn't hear?
His father was a drunk.
Used to come home and beat dai mah every day.
One day Rambo grew up, killed him.
Killed him?
The rest of the family's fine.
He's got a brother on wall street.
Rambo's just the black sheep, you know?
So how much do you owe them?
53,200.
Wow!
So when you were dreaming of coming to america,
did you think it was gonna be this way?
I didn't think, I just came.
Hey yo.
Feed the pair fish with this,
and then wipe down all the condensation.
Our friends don't like condensation.
Hey, I know ma wants us to work together,
so as long as you listen to me...
Fuck!
Damn it.
Hey babe.
Sup baby.
What's going on?
So can you tell me why she's here?
I just needed some help.
She needs the money.
Ma says she wants her here anyway.
Really?
You see, this is exactly what I mean.
Fuck you talking about, huh?
You know what the fuck I'm talking about.
You should be a man.
Well you should shut the fuck up.
I ain't got time for this bullshit today, all right?
This ain't fucking bullshit.
Fuck you!
The fuck you looking at, ding dong?
Huh?
Golden taxi, yeah.
Yeah, getting better?
Good, good.
Where do you need to go?
All right, no problem.
Five minutes?
Yeah.
Let's go.
Are you not gonna get that?
I like to hear it ring.
It's the sound of making money.
People love dai mah.
For a price, she brought their family here.
- Hey. - Hey.
Oh, oh, ah.
But dai mah loved money more than people.
Everyone knew where she was,
because all roads through Chinatown flow through dai mah.
Everyone knows you.
Yeah.
They know me and they know my family.
They trust me.
They're afraid of you and Rambo.
Afraid?
There's a difference between fear and respect.
Everybody loves Rambo.
Whatever you say.
You know your firstborn is always special.
I love all my sons, but
when Rambo was a little boy, he saved me.
What'd he do?
I was weak, he was strong.
Went to jail when he was 12.
He's spent more than half his life there.
What Rambo is today, I'm to blame.
You know what it's like to be a mother.
You see your faults in your children.
You just wish you had done better.
She really likes you.
You think you're special, don't you, hm?
You're not.
I need to get back.
Your mother hates it when I'm late.
You're just my mom's little errand rat, you understand?
Huh?
Told ma she's too easy on you.
Lucky I'm not in charge yet.
Ready?
If I wanted to clear my debt,
I had to find a place in her family.
They each get one.
What's she doing here?
She's gonna deliver the food from now on.
Trust her?
All right, all right, ma, sorry.
I got it, I got it.
I got it, ma.
There were three safe houses.
Each one had 10 to 20 migrants awaiting release.
When a friend or relative came to pay, they were free.
There was always a lot of cash at eldridge house.
The black arowanas are a little bit more aggressive
than the silver ones because they like the ph
more on the acidic side.
But if you put some peat moss in the filter...
I got some cousins in Philly that might like you.
Hey.
I've seen how you stare.
Seen it all my life.
You think I'm weak, don't you?
You survive your way,
and I survive mine.
In the end, it's all the same.
Hey big bro.
Where my slice at?
Please...
Can I have a coke?
You want one?
- Two. - Three.
No, you get a diet coke.
Fat boy.
I hate diet coke.
Hey, I lost two girls to fathead in Los Angeles.
Think I can get another shipment soon?
Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it.
You know I can't earn if I ain't got no product.
- Piece of shit. - Hey.
When we eat, we eat in peace.
Tse-jia, what you doing this weekend?
- Are you serious? - What?
You would crush her, fat boy.
Ma.
Go ahead.
You earned it.
Smoking in my restaurant?
Nah.
Yo Jack!
Who are we meeting here?
Hey, your place is not to ask,
your place is to follow, okay?
Dai mah was so rich that Rambo never had to work,
but he was a man, and after 20 years in jail,
he still had to prove it.
My man Rambo.
- And you are? - Oh, she's the help,
don't fuck with her.
We good?
Got that red arowana special.
That's what I'm talking about.
What do you say, huh?
You up?
All right, every three to four weeks
you're gonna pick up 20 cases from Jack.
Five boxes go to the safe house on eldridge,
three in flushing, and the rest to Richie.
It's easy money.
Hey, where you going?
You better get one of those boxes!
Am I gonna have some problem with you?
This is stupid, I'm not doing that.
I'm not gonna smuggle drugs.
The people are better, hm?
At least I give people hope.
You kill them.
When I clear my debt, I will go to her.
But it felt like I'd never get there.
Even though I was close, I was nothing to her.
Zareeb, forgot the rice.
Can you get it?
Thanks.
Can you help me?
I need to get in touch with my cousin.
Do they have the money?
They are trying to get the loan.
Here. Call now.
Thank you.
- They shot Jin. - Who?
- Get the guns! - Who?
You survive your way, and I survive mine.
In the end, it's all the same.
Hurry the fuck up, go to the other room!
Hurry up, hurry the fuck up!
Hurry up!
Where's the money at?
Where the fucking money at?
Where's the fucking money?
You okay?
I'm okay.
How?
Too loud.
Chopsticks.
Mm, watch.
Get rid of it.
B.b.'s dead.
He was in the next run.
We need another snakehead for the Taiwan job.
I'll go.
You're crazy.
Why do you wanna go?
Do you think I want to fold dumplings forever?
I've done it once, I can do it again.
Ma, she's not family.
If I go, she'll cut my debt in half.
You know they don't really care about you.
To them you're just like a cook.
You cook bad, they'll hire somebody else to do it.
If you know a fast way how to make money, show me.
But is it worth the risk?
Every day we're here, we're at risk.
We could go to jail, we could get deported.
We could get killed and no one would know.
So you tell me, is it worth the risk?
Hey.
So you are the snakehead from New York.
Where's my cargo?
What's the rush?
You are a long way from home.
Have a drink.
I'm here to do a job.
I miss New York. How's dai mah? Paigwut?
Is Rambo out of jail yet?
He must be all grown up.
There's a typhoon coming and we need to leave.
Where are my people?
They all paid and are ready to go.
Hey! When are we leaving?
We've been here for over three months!
Shut up!
Why do you talk so much?
Whatever I tell you to do, you do.
The ports will shut down the ports tomorrow.
You can't afford to keep them here another month.
Don't you think I know that?
No. We leave tonight.
How?
If you follow me, I will deliver you safe.
From here, we take a container boat from taishan to Guatemala.
There, a coyote will smuggle us north to america.
Watch out for cartel and militia. They own the border.
Is that border patrol?
I don't know, but it's time to run.
- Vamanos! - Come on!
Come on!
Eagle one here, I've located about 20 illegals.
They see the drone and heading north.
Can you handle them at the river, scorpion?
In my vehicle, you can just guide me in.
Look at them all scatter like ants.
Looks like they close the doors into an old barn.
Copy that, eta five minutes.
Is this illegal shit?
Money.
Time to go.
Group is moving, group is moving.
Go, go, go!
I see it to the right!
Watch right there, go!
Go faster!
I see them, I see them.
It's militia.
They're gonna hit the riverbed.
We gonna get them this time.
Patriots defense recon, go!
Drone needs charge.
Copy that, scorpion engaging target.
Easy, hands up.
Get your fucking hands up.
What is this?
Fucking chink and a wetback?
This some kind of United Nations bullshit?
We are Christian.
Doesn't fucking matter, get on the ground.
Get on the fucking grown now!
All the way!
Open the fucking door.
You fucking open the...
Don't you talk back, head down.
Head down, don't look at me.
Where's everyone?
Where the fuck is everyone else?
They went back.
Scorpion, do you copy?
We got nothing here.
There's no one else.
Scorpion.
What's going on down there?
Why did you come here?
Ah, family.
They never talk about family.
I don't have family.
You always have family.
Sister tse.
Hold on again.
Hello?
Oh, zareeb, I think it's your cousin.
Hello?
Amir, it's you! How are you doing?
Thank god, thank god! God is great! Wonderful!
Thank you very much! Thank you!
She got the visa! She is finally coming! Tse, she is coming!
I'm happy for you.
Yeah!
Come.
Sister tse, I know this payment isn't enough.
My daughter's been sick.
I promise I won't run.
Can you give me more time?
Pay when you can, you're not going anywhere.
Thank you, sister tse. Thank you! Thank you!
Do you like lobsters?
Come to my place. I'll take care of you.
Thank you.
No, why?
They wanna know how you're doing there.
I don't wanna be on it.
Then I told them just because we live in Chinatown
doesn't mean we should burn our trash.
Stop being such a gentrifier.
Yeah, stop being a gentrifier.
They wanna talk to Rosie too.
It'll be good exposure for my clients.
Oh shoot, I forgot the brie.
Gotta go back.
Sister tse! Lots of lobsters!
Come up! Come up!
Sister tse! Sister tse!
Here's a large box of lobsters for you.
Also, these guys I trust.
If you need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask.
Thank you.
Hey, hey!
You work for dai mah, right?
I need help getting my wife and daughter here.
You should talk to dai mah.
I don't trust dai mah.
People are just cargo to her.
This is my wife and child.
I can help you, but dai mah can't know.
Thank you.
Hey yo, let me ask you a question.
Sup, Bo?
What do you think about sister tse?
Uh, I don't know.
She's cool.
Why, you like her?
Nah.
I want you to follow her.
Oh.
Okay, I got you.
Does ma know about this?
Get the fuck out and get the girls.
Get the fuck out of here!
Come on.
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Where you taking them?
You got your money, you did your job.
You're done here.
You, you, you, come on, come with me.
Move!
Hey, what the fuck...
Got a problem?
Hey ma, ma!
How come you're not picking up your phone?
Ma, you know what this bitch is doing?
You talking about the massage parlor?
Hey, something funny, huh?
She's fucking with my money, ma.
Calm down.
Hey, you think you're in charge?
I said do you think you're in charge?
Ma, I'm gonna kill this bitch right here.
- Fuck... - Hey, you!
Out.
God, I fucking hate you.
I'm worried about Rambo.
I've got a nephew in Toronto
that wants to smuggle through Belize.
These aren't Chinese.
Who are they?
Refugees.
Another country, higher risk, more money.
I want you to do it.
I don't think so.
I need to make sure nothing goes wrong.
To make sure Rambo's okay.
I want you to do it.
It'll be good for both of you.
The family.
Do it for me.
I'll clear your debt.
So I've been following tse-jia
like you told me to.
She keeps going to this church.
What's she doing there?
I'm not sure.
Just keep following her.
Hey ding dong!
Come here.
What do you want?
Why are you here?
We don't need your help.
I'm only here because of your mom.
How did it get over the border?
White sting hauler can go anywhere you want.
I'll go check on them first.
What? No, no, no, we don't got time for that shit.
We gotta drive all night, let's go.
You have no idea what it's like
to be in a shipping container.
Maybe we could just go check, Bo.
Maybe they gotta pee or something.
Bullshit.
Fuck!
What?
Oh shit, yo, Bo!
Bo, you gotta come over here, Bo!
What is wrong with you?
Come on, Bo, you got,
please just come over here!
What is it, some bullshit?
Oh shit.
Oh shit, oh fuck.
Shit, shit.
Get the fuck up here!
Come on, man, I can't.
Get the fuck in here now!
Hey, help me with this one.
I can't, bro, I can't.
Look at all the fucking dead bodies, Bo.
Man, get the fuck out of here!
You come here.
Move this one.
Bingo.
There's 50 more kilos in here, we'll find them in New York.
Bro, somebody left the freezer on.
Hey, we stick to the plan and we drive back tonight.
How we gonna drive back
with all these things back here, bro?
Fuck!
Every single fucking time because of you.
Get your fucking drugs, let's go.
They showed up like this. This ain't my fucking fault.
Yeah it is.
You gonna fucking stand there?
Let's go!
Hey.
It's your cut.
38 bodies were found frozen dead
in an abandoned refrigerated smuggling truck
in queens today.
Authorities have not determined the origin
of the immigrants, but the DEA suspects
narcotics to be involved.
The truck originated from Toronto, Canada,
and normally transports frozen lobsters
for uncle Beth's seafood company in Chinatown.
The suspects are still at large.
All my debts are paid.
I can't work for you anymore.
You know you're special.
Look, I didn't work this hard for Rambo to fuck it all up.
You saved me a fortune.
I didn't do that for you.
I did that to survive.
I respect that.
What if I can offer you something better?
I'll double your pay.
And give you the dumpling house.
People depend on me.
When I'm gone, people can depend on you.
Sister tse, I'm worried about my family.
Last I heard they were in Montreal.
Don't worry. The Van will come soon.
Thank you.
Dai mah doesn't know about this. Let's keep it that way.
No problem.
Hey, come on.
What's going on here?
They just traveled 8,000 miles
and you're gonna bring them here?
The fuck is wrong with you?
- I wanna ask you... - No English.
Mei-ying tse?
That is your name, right?
I wanna ask you about a snakehead.
Pearl ho.
Also known as dai mah.
It turns out your fingerprints are all over the truck.
You're gonna tell me all about the frozen bodies.
Or we can talk about your daughter.
Is your survival more important than hers?
All right then.
Sister tse, let's start from the beginning.
When I was three, my mother sold me for $1,000.
I never blamed her.
What could she do?
How could anyone blame a prostitute?
I grew up hard learning one thing.
Survival.
My name is tse Mei-ying.
But people call me sister tse.
I never believed in the American dream.
All I knew was how to survive.
For me and my family.
Thank you, dai mah.
We protect our own.
Sorry we didn't get to you earlier. These things take time.
You've nothing to worry about.
We're family.
Come on, I gotta show you something.
All right, this better be good.
There you go.
Wait.
Me?
It's all yours.
Oh, tse, you're amazing.
Wow.
What?
You know I worry about you sometimes.
What's there to worry about?
You have more than enough money.
Why are you still doing this?
Enjoy this, okay?
Did you hear what sister tse did?
She started smuggling on the side
and got caught by the FBI, dumb bitch.
You want me to kill tse-jia?
No, I need some leverage.
Get me that little girl she's been seeing.
You want me to kill the little girl?
No!
Just bring her to me.
Hello?
Anybody home?
Hello!
Sup?
Nice place.
Bo know about this?
You might need a new job soon.
Work for you?
Huh?
Are you fucking crazy?
You seem to be forgetting your place.
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Oh.
You motherfuckers wanna play, huh?
You motherfuckers wanna play?
Bring it, bring it, motherfuckers!
Huh?
I'm gonna fucking enjoy this.
That little fucking bitch Rosie, she's fucking next!
Do it, do it!
I gave you everything and treated you like a daughter
from the beginning.
You mean a life of slavery and violence?
Or all your bullshit about family and loyalty?
Ungrateful prostitute.
You wanna know why I am like I am?
Because I have to be.
That's what makes america work.
You lied and cheat your own people.
I didn't force you to do shit.
You cheated those migrants just like me.
I'll never be like you.
We're the same, and the why?
Guilt.
It eats your heart out from the inside.
It takes a lot to give up a child
for your own survival.
Like I said before, the past is the past.
We make our own fate here.
Shooting me does you nothing.
When I'm dead, the money's gone.
Or you could have it all.
I'll get your daughter back.
What about the FBI, the delivery truck?
Rambo killed the gweilo driver
and the flushing crew is gone.
The only thing tying us to frozen bodies is you.
What about Rambo?
Rambo's my son. He'll obey.
But you have to make up with him.
He's still sour about pai gwut.
You come to the wedding, bring lobsters.
My good son's finally getting married.
What about the FBI, the delivery truck?
Rambo killed the gweilo driver
and the flushing crew is gone.
The only thing tying us to the frozen bodies is you.
Leave Rosie alone.
And why would I wanna hurt a little girl, huh?
Killing zareeb?
Yeah, that was payback for pai gwut.
I get it.
And you don't answer to ma anymore.
You're my pet now.
Mom, come on up here!
I just wanted everyone to raise a glass
to the woman who made me the man that I am today.
A woman who raised me when we had nothing.
But killing zareeb?
That was payback for pai gwut.
Here's to you, mom.
Where's Rambo?
The fuck is this?
I didn't do shit!
I didn't come for the American dream.
I came for family.
I left her once for my survival.
This time, I leave her for hers.