Golden venture

Gr 9 Up-As our country struggles with developing a meaningful, equitable, and effective national immigration policy, this intriguing program offers a fascinating review of a 1993 incident which spotlighted the issue at the time. The Golden Venture, an ocean-going freighter, ran aground off the New York coast with almost 300 undocumented Chinese immigrants aboard. The film recounts what happened to the survivors both short-term and today. The producers movingly recount the price paid by the refugees from Communist China in financial (a minimum of $30,000 each), emotional, and physical terms through the use of news footage, computer graphics, and stirring personal interviews. While the initial incident ironically took place in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, the immigrants' reception was less-than-hospitable as a result of the first attack on the World Trade Center. What follows are remarkable stories of human strength, governmental indecisiveness, and a supportive coalition of national groups rallying on behalf of the refugees. The nicely paced presentation features English-language captions of interviews, a useful study guide, and a Web site with links to additional information. The film can be accessed in two parts: the first details the incidents and ensuing political and legal battles, while the latter portion provides a look at the Golden Venture passengers today. Classes studying the ongoing question of immigration would greatly benefit from the unique perspective provided in the film.-Dwain Thomas, Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.