The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream

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The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream

by Patrick Radden Keefe (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · rating details · 318 ratings · 91 reviews

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A mesmerizing narrative about the rise and fall of an unlikely international crime boss

In the 1980s, a wave of Chinese from Fujian province began arriving in America. Like other immigrant groups before them, they showed up with little money but with an intense work ethic and an unshakeable belief in the promise of the United States. Many of them lived in a world outside the law, working in a shadow economy overseen by the ruthless gangs that ruled the narrow streets of New York’s Chinatown.

The figure who came to dominate this Chinese underworld was a middle-aged grandmother known as Sister Ping. Her path to the American dream began with an unusual business run out of a tiny noodle store on Hester Street. From her perch above the shop, Sister Ping ran a full-service underground bank for illegal Chinese immigrants. But her real business-a business that earned an estimated $40 million-was smuggling people.

As a “snakehead,” she built a complex—and often vicious—global conglomerate, relying heavily on familial ties, and employing one of Chinatown's most violent gangs to protect her power and profits. Like an underworld CEO, Sister Ping created an intricate smuggling network that stretched from Fujian Province to Hong Kong to Burma to Thailand to Kenya to Guatemala to Mexico. Her ingenuity and drive were awe-inspiring both to the Chinatown community—where she was revered as a homegrown Don Corleone—and to the law enforcement officials who could never quite catch her.

Indeed, Sister Ping’s empire only came to light in 1993 when the Golden Venture, a ship loaded with 300 undocumented immigrants, ran aground off a Queens beach. It took New York’s fabled “Jade Squad” and the FBI nearly ten years to untangle the criminal network and home in on its unusual mastermind.

THE SNAKEHEAD is a panoramic tale of international intrigue and a dramatic portrait of the underground economy in which America’s twelve million illegal immigrants live. Based on hundreds of interviews, Patrick Radden Keefe’s sweeping narrative tells the story not only of Sister Ping, but of the gangland gunslingers who worked for her, the immigration and law enforcement officials who pursued her, and the generation of penniless immigrants who risked death and braved a 17,000 mile odyssey so that they could realize their own version of the American dream. The Snakehead offers an intimate tour of life on the mean streets of Chinatown, a vivid blueprint of organized crime in an age of globalization and a masterful exploration of the ways in which illegal immigration affects us all.

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published July 21st 2009 by Doubleday (first published July 14th 2009)

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Mar 29, 2011

Laura C. rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

This book, by Patric Keefe, is the meticulously researched and documented story of human smuggling into the United States from China. Keefe tells the story dispassionately, from the middle, when a boat full of Chinese refugees goes purposely aground off of Rockaway New York on June 6, 1993. He takes us both forward and backward from there, showing us the complexities of the immigration story from both sides of the table, both politically and culturally. It is a fine feat to let the story do the...more

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Feb 24, 2011

Paul Pessolano rated it

At this time in our history the subject of "illegal immigration" comes up on an almost daily basis. "The Snakehead" is the story of illegal immigration that was occurring in the 1980's. There was an almost unbelievable influx of Chinese into this country and the bulk of them coming from the Fujian Province.

In New York's Chinatown, a middle aged woman by the name of Sister Ping ran a $40 million dollar smuggling business from a tiny noddle store. Sister Ping cam...moreAt this time in our history the subject of "illegal immigration" comes up on an almost daily basis. "The Snakehead" is the story of illegal immigration that was occurring in the 1980's. There was an almost unbelievable influx of Chinese into this country and the bulk of them coming from the Fujian Province.

In New York's Chinatown, a middle aged woman by the name of Sister Ping ran a $40 million dollar smuggling business from a tiny noddle store. Sister Ping came from the Fujian Province and smuggled so many people into the United States that by the 1990's the Province contained only the very young or the very old. These immigrants came to the United States with a high work ethic and the promise of a good life. The majority of those smuggled came with only the clothes on their backs. They had little money and no documentation. The were easily absorbed into the mainstream of America by working in low paying jobs and keeping a very low profile.

Sister Ping's system, and others, started to fall apart when the ship "Golden Venture" was run aground in Queens, New York. There were 300 illegal's aboard, and those that made it ashore were apprehended by the authorities.

It is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 Chinese are still smuggled out of China every year. It still remains a very lucrative business amounting to a $20 billion dollar criminal industry. This is second only to the drug trade. The smuggling of humans into countries has grown over the years and people are being smuggled from almost all countries that are economically depressed or war torn. Although the largest numbers of illegal immigrants come to the United States, estimated to be 12 million, these people are now being spread to any country where they feel they can improve their status in life and meld into society.

"The Snakehead" combines both history and true crime, and studies the question of illegal immigration from both standpoints. This is a very good read and will probably appeal more to the historian than those who read true crime.(less)

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Dec 06, 2009

Lynh rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book focuses narrowly on the immigration of mainly Fujianese into America, but touches on America's love-hate history with immigrants. It's part crime story, part political commentary.

I learned that for a while, most of the Chinese people in NY's Chinatown came from Fujian, an area about the same size as Delaware. And that because there are Chinese Restaurants everywhere - even in African Countries in the midst of civil war, or small towns in Ohio - Chinese immigrants usuall...moreThis book focuses narrowly on the immigration of mainly Fujianese into America, but touches on America's love-hate history with immigrants. It's part crime story, part political commentary.

I learned that for a while, most of the Chinese people in NY's Chinatown came from Fujian, an area about the same size as Delaware. And that because there are Chinese Restaurants everywhere - even in African Countries in the midst of civil war, or small towns in Ohio - Chinese immigrants usually have a pretty good chance of making decent money working in a Chinese restaurants outside of the US. Mostly, I think I came away thinking that economic opportunity is an extremely motivation to leave your country, more than most Americans realize.

America needs immigrants to fill a lot of our jobs, and technically the government's stance is, "We don't want to deal with immigrants seeking asylum and we can't help them as they search for a better economic life," even though that's what happened with almost every other established ethnic group in America today.

China in particular has had a trying relationship with American immigration policy, but in the 80's and 90's, particularly after Tiananmen Square and the one-child policy, America sort of grimaced and opened its arms. This book focuses on the snakeheads - people movers - who profited largely through movement of Fujianese and other Chinese into the US. Sister Ping was a big target - hero to the Fujianese, but equivalent to John Gotti to the INS.

There aren't really any conclusions to be drawn except that the system is a mess - the government can't agree who really needs political asylum, and people will continue to pay exorbitant fees (it's probably around $85,000 to illegally enter the US) for the opportunity to earn and support their families in other countries as long as the US keeps its immigratio cap so low.

For more insight from the author, I thought the articles linked to below on Slate were really interesting:

http://www.slate.com/id/2223110/entry/22...(less)

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Nov 10, 2009

Jens rated it

I'm biased - I know and like the author very much. But I can say with assurance that this is a great book. The story is captivating - it's a page turner, which isn't always easy with ambitious non-fiction. I found it's not the best book to curl up with if you want to go to sleep. But it's a great book to get to sucked into. The subject - human smuggling - is a good one. Despite my interest in managing transnational problems, I read the book knowing very little about the subject. The book ...more

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Nov 09, 2009

Christina rated it

Very interesting look at the sophisticated world of Chinese immigration and organized crime. I was impressed with many cultural ideas that are different from my own. For example, immigrants pay a snakehead up to $40,000 to smuggle them into the U.S. They pay a small fee of a few thousand to start the process, then once here, their relatives pay the remainder. Chinese extended family ties are so strong that they pay the debt on behalf of their newly-arrived cousin and then the cousin pays them...more

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Jul 07, 2009

Nancy rated it

Shelves: amazon-vine, nonfiction

According to the author, a "snakehead" is someone who charges a huge amount of money to "take people out of China and into other countries." This book focuses on one of these people, Sister Ping, who came to the US legally and then proceeded to cash in on every opportunity she could, including smuggling human beings into the country for millions in profit. It was the wreck of the ship Golden Venture near Rockaway NY in 1993 in which several people died that captured the atten...moreAccording to the author, a "snakehead" is someone who charges a huge amount of money to "take people out of China and into other countries." This book focuses on one of these people, Sister Ping, who came to the US legally and then proceeded to cash in on every opportunity she could, including smuggling human beings into the country for millions in profit. It was the wreck of the ship Golden Venture near Rockaway NY in 1993 in which several people died that captured the attention of the Federal Government and set several officials on the trail of Sister Ping. But that's not the whole story here...it's also a look at the shifting policies of the Feds on legal and illegal immigration throughout our country's history as well as an examination of why law enforcement often has trouble getting a handle on this very big problem. Misinformation, lack of funding, a staggering amount of asylum requests (and the question of who will receive asylum and who will be deported), and often corruption on the part of some INS (now ICE) agents are all factors that the author examines in trying to understand why this woman was able to elude capture for nearly a decade; not to mention the closing of ranks within the Chinese communities in the US around someone they considered almost a saint.

The story of the Golden Venture is the focal point for examining wider and pertinent issues, and while the author examines the impact of human smuggling and illegal immigrants in this country, he also makes very clear that many people trying to get their chance at the American dream are willing to take the risks involved with illegal smuggling operations. Also, he makes the point when the Feds actually manage to capture someone like Sister Ping, there are other people waiting in the wings.

Overall, this was a good read. It seemed to go on a bit, and probably could have been somewhat condensed, but other than that, I liked it. People on both sides of the issue of illegal immigration will want to read this book.(less)

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Jul 18, 2010

Matt rated it

This one has been hanging out there, ready to be read by me for about a year since it first got all that attention, and I don't think this disappointed.

I was a senior in college when the Golden Vantage first ran aground, and I was talking to a college friend of mine yesterday, and neither one of us remember this happening, which is kind of a little shocking when you think about it. But Keefe here does a really good job of building up to the event, and then tracing where it went from ...more

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Sep 08, 2009

Trish rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

I was ridiculously psyched to get this for 75 cents from the library book sale (woo-hoo for advanced copies finding their way to the FriendShop!). I first read about Sister Ping and The Golden Venture in The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, an enjoyable and generally more lighthearted look at Chinese food in America. The Snakehead is an engrossing read, extremely well researched. It tracks the true crime saga of Sister Ping's human smuggling empire and the massive out-migration from China's Fujian pro...more

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Oct 03, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine rated it

Shelves: nov-dec-2009

Keefe has written an impeccably researched account of human traffickers and inconsistent U.S. immigration policy. Critics marveled at his skill in weaving multiple, complex plots into one highly articulate narrative and described him as "a masterful storyteller with the keen eye of a seasoned reporter" (Washington Post). The New York Times Book Review was an exception, noting that Keefe struggled to depict illegal immigrants as ""three-dimensional individuals,"" and...more

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Dec 18, 2009

Tony rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very interesting. I don't remember the Golden Venture being intentionally grounded off of Queens, NY and the Chinese immigrants coming to shore. I was a little too young to be paying attention to that event. The book told two stories of the Chinese human smuggling business and the Chinese underground in Chinatown, NY. This book explores these subjects in depth and around the world. It also dealt with politics fairly. I never felt the author lean one way o...more

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Mar 14, 2011

Josephine rated it

Why do people risk their lives and willingly go into debt to live life in the shadows as illegal immigrants? And who are the people who enable this dangerous venture?

In Patrick Radden Keefe’s “The Snakehead”, he writes about a young Chinese reference librarian who joins a local band of activists rallying around a group of Chinese detainees.

The activist, Radden Keefe writes, understood the detainees’ reasons for leaving China — after all, they were the same as his: “a la...more

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Apr 19, 2011

Dennis rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 11, 2011

Elizabeth rated it

This is not a book I would have normally picked up even though I love nonfiction, but it came in to the library where I work and intrigued me. Once I started reading I was hooked and plowed through it (at work) in a couple days.
The book is essentially about human smuggling (illegal immigration NOT sex trade) from China into the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, but Keefe chose a specific incident and specific "snakehead", or smuggler, to focus on. This made what could...more

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Mar 06, 2011

Jill rated it

Shelves: american-history

This is the fascinating true story of the "snakeheads", those NYC Chinatown based purveyors of human traffic from China. I had not realized the number of people who were fleeing from China in the 1990s and the extent of the network of human smugglers who were making millions of dollars from this business. The major player in this nefarious business was the infamous Sister Ping, an unassuming Chinese woman who owned a restaurant in Chinatown. She reached legendary status with those tha...more

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Feb 21, 2011

Ammie rated it

I interrupted my reading of this book and read an entire other book in the middle (it was a busy work week and I needed something fluffier than immigration), so it was a rather protracted reading. And at the end I feel... Sort of ambivalent. Interesting information, written in a bit too much of a "crime narrative" style for my taste, and although I didn't get a strong sense that the author was picking sides of the arguement I also left without a strong idea of what side I fell on. ...more

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Mar 13, 2010

Zach rated it

Shelves: 2010-books, audio-books, audio-books-2010, law-enforcement-true-crime

Excellent. First off this book is far superior to Keefe's earlier book Chatter. Chatter suffered from from being a confused mismash without a clear narrative. Here Keefe, uses the story of the Golden Venture and the snake head Sister Ping to describe the development of the snake head system from the communities in Fujian to the US. Keefe also explains how a variety of political interests influenced recent immigration policy from social conservatives to Bill Clinton's previous experience w...more

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Nov 18, 2011

Jonathan Hamlet rated it

Shelves: epic-tomes, historicalizing

The Snakehead is a curious book for anyone interested in the general subject of immigration. Taking place mostly throughout the 80s, 90s, and 00s, it tells the true and engrossing story of many of Chinatown's underworld figures that were involved in the "human smuggling" of Chinese immigrants. I found the whole subject of "human smuggling" fascinating because, familiar only with "human trafficking," a wholly different beast, "human smuggling" is a cornerst...moreThe Snakehead is a curious book for anyone interested in the general subject of immigration. Taking place mostly throughout the 80s, 90s, and 00s, it tells the true and engrossing story of many of Chinatown's underworld figures that were involved in the "human smuggling" of Chinese immigrants. I found the whole subject of "human smuggling" fascinating because, familiar only with "human trafficking," a wholly different beast, "human smuggling" is a cornerstone of illegal immigration in America, whether from Latin America or from Asia and consists of people who enter into indentured servitude to come to America, often paying fortunes to do so. This is distinguishable from the slavery-like conditions of human trafficking which often relies on deceit and violence in order to force people into sweatshop labor and prostitution. Not that there isn't plenty of violence and deceit in human smuggling, but the Snakehead explains in depth the difference between the two and what it all means for immigration.

The Snakehead tells a series of interwoven stories from a bunch of different perspectives. It lays out, in often gruesome detail, the travesties that Chinese immigrants would endure to come to America, and the often sizable debts to shady and unforgiving people they would incur in doing so. It also tells the story of people who built huge criminal empires and, often, very nearly legitimate business empires based on the fortunes they obtained from being "Snakeheads," the term used for human smugglers. Most fascinating of all, a detailed portrait of how it all interacted with Chinatown organized crime, the rise and decline (in some cases) of Chinatowns in all the major cities in America, and even the proliferation of Chinese restaurants and the infamous Chinatown buses. To people who already know about the origins of all of this, the Snakehead does still have plenty of personal drama and interesting stories about the colorful and often psychologically warped people who entered this business and the tragedies that befell their customers. (less)

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Dec 10, 2011

Diane rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: china-chinese, immigrant-experience, non-fiction, law-legal

One of the best non-fiction books I have read. I was impressed with his research, the organization of the book, and the author's ability to explain complex legal and social issues clearly. It is one of the few non-fiction books that I read to the very end with relish. I almost want to advise you to read the epilogue first - it is a masterful summary - but if you want some elements of suspense, you should not take my advice. I even read the acknowledgments and source notes with interest.
...more

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Jan 13, 2010

Sam Mlyniec rated it

The Snakehead provides a thorough and well researched look at both sides of the immigration fence. Keefe does a very good job of explaining the political and social complexities that lie behind American immigration policy. Keefe also shows the constancy of demand for human smuggling and the difficulty of combating such smuggling in a modern and increasingly globalized economy.
Keefe asserts human smuggling exists in a nebulous territory between illegality and socially acceptable behavior a...more

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Nov 29, 2009

Daisy rated it

Shelves: cultural, china, non-fiction

The Chinese came to United States, mainly western regions to dig the gold. But the gold rush began to dissipate almost as quickly as it had begun. Then the Chinese in US had been taxed as foreign miners and then driven out of this business. The railroads the Chinese helped to build had enabled the Americans from the East to travel by train to the west and started looking for jobs here in the west. Those Americans started to blame the Chinese for taking away their job. Then on May 6, 1882, the go...moreThe Chinese came to United States, mainly western regions to dig the gold. But the gold rush began to dissipate almost as quickly as it had begun. Then the Chinese in US had been taxed as foreign miners and then driven out of this business. The railroads the Chinese helped to build had enabled the Americans from the East to travel by train to the west and started looking for jobs here in the west. Those Americans started to blame the Chinese for taking away their job. Then on May 6, 1882, the government passed Chinese Exclusion Act, strictly limited any further immigration from China and excluded Chinese already in the country from citizenship. The Chinese remained here were obliged for their own survival , had to withdraw from direct competition and they got into restaurant or the laundry businesses. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, FDR had for Chinese's help to attack the common enemy, so they repeled the exclusion act in December 1943. When Communist party took over the country, they enforced a household registration system that prevent the rural Chinese from flooding the cities looking for jobs. This policy made it extremely hard for rural Chinese from leaving their own village, not to mention their own country.

It is depressing to read all those stories, people desperate to get to America. As a legal Chinese immigrant to United States at age 14, I despise all the illegal immigrants, American government granting safe haven, permanent residency to illegal immigrants who have no reason to stay is a slap on the face for legal immigrants like me. There are people who suffered so much to come to America, there are also people who come to United States, caused misery for so many other people, then get permission to stay in this country and became millionaire. Sometimes i felt that this government need to do so much to improve the immigration system.

It is also painstaking to read the stories of the peasants who came illegal through the ship the Golden Venture, people onboard were willing to die rather than going back to China, and those who did accept deportation had ended up being sterilized, having their uterus removed, and forced abortion. People do have a right to fight for what they want, I guess in the end, those who didn't give up and those who withstood their grounds were the winners. They stayed and built their own lives here in the "Golden Land". Although I still hate illegal immigrants, i have to admit that I understand their situation and I do feel sorry for them and I too believe people have the right to fight and to believe in the future(less)

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Aug 24, 2010

John Jung rated it

Story of the notorious woman in NY, known as the snakehead, who ran the smuggling operation in which exorbitant fees were charged to Chinese immigrants from Fukien province brought into the U. S. The unfortunate accident off the coast of NY in which many of these immigrants died when their ship ran aground blew the operation open. Keefe's book traces the development of this illegal trade and describes the human suffering involved even for those who survive the voyage for many years afterwards.

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Aug 02, 2009

Lainie rated it

Interesting study on the personalities that drive human smuggling and the political and economic contexts that drive people to leave China in particular. Fascinating find was that many of the Chinese illegal immigrants (and legals as well) view the smugglers as pillars of society risking alot to bring opportunity to those who can pay to be smuggled. The book did gloss over extortion and other abuses that take place upon arrival in the US though. Overall it seemed thoroughly researched and was ...more

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Jun 01, 2011

Elisabeth Jansen rated it

Fascinating. Keefe uses a story of Chinese immigrants washing up on the shores of New York as a starting point for a sort of investigative bio of Madam Ping (an unlikely smuggler) the history and development of modern Chinatowns, and an interesting look at the resolve and creativity of people determined to get to the US. A great read for those interested in learning more about the history of US immigration in general and more specifically, the journey of the modern Chinese immigrant.

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Dec 31, 2009

Trish rated it

Shelves: asia, nonfiction

Truly fascinating. Keefe did an awesome amount of research, and organized the overlapping stories on different continents so that the pacing was right. Epic in scope and mouth-dropping in detail, these interlocked stories touch so many lives and so many parts of the world, it must have been difficult to know where to begin. The characterizations are rich, however, and Keefe gives us a human-scaled drama. What struck me at the end was how persons of every ethnicity, political stripe, and religiou...more

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Nov 03, 2009

Iris rated it

Shelves: politics, space-and-place, history

An absorbing portrait of life on earth, wrapped in an exposé of the human smuggling trade from China to Chinatown in Manhattan. In Keefe's reporting on an especially dangerous and expensive route to US shores, we meet Kenyan port authorities, violent wealthy Chinatown gang leaders, innovative survivors, and the unforgettable woman who links them all: a free-market mastermind named Sister Ping.

For a preview, see the author's series of dispatches from the font of the smuggling trade in ...more

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Jan 13, 2012

Jordan Kravitz rated it

· review of another edition

This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in ages. To understand American immigration policies, it's essential. To learn about an underground, international multi-billion-dollar operation to smuggle undocumented workers into the United States, you can't do better. The Snakehead is full of shootouts, internecine gang warfare, and drugs, and, yes, it really does read like the step-child of The Godfather and Chinatown.

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Jan 10, 2010

Timothy rated it

Shelves: nonfiction

The story told in this book was intriguing -- but it was the amount of reporting that went into getting the story that pushed it into amazing territory. (As a reporter, I was particularly interested in the copious endnotes, which actually provide a roadmap for doing a project of this ambition.) Process aside, the author does a tremendous job of blending narrative and information, making a wide-ranging cast of characters come alive.

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Sep 06, 2010

Bob rated it

Shelves: pleasure

Of the 15 books I've finished this summer, this one is the most poignant. It's a true story about a Chinese human smuggling operation. I am floored by how desperately people want to come to America; they will do anything and fight tooth and nail just to end up on our shores, even without any money, family, or legal status. Unfortunately, there are the snakeheads, the people who take advantage of such inexorable desires. This book is highly well-written and researched, and eminently readable. I d...more

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Nov 30, 2011

Gary rated it

An insightful and engaging view into the world of human smuggling. Captures well the mindsets and motivations that drive people to risk indebtedness and their lives for a chance to work in the States, as well as the "snakeheads" who arrange their journeys. If the subject matter is at all intriguing, this book will grip your attention on page one and leave you grateful for having found it once finished.

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May 31, 2010

Chuck rated it

Page-turner about human smuggling and the Chinatown mob. In 1993 a ship ran around off Rockaway Beach, and a hundred or so emaciated Chinese jumped overboard; several drowned. From the investigation into that incident Keefe traces the stories of emigrants, law enforcement, murderers, and the little old lady who ran the whole show. Fascinating. Plus it explains the origin of the Chinatown bus lines.

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About Patrick Radden Keefe

Patrick Radden Keefe is the author of The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream (Doubleday, July 2009), which Kirkus calls "a panoramic, international true-crime adventure," and Publishers Weekly calls "brilliant...a must-read." He writes frequently for The New Yorker, Slate, The New York Review of Books, and other magazines, and works as a ...more

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Books by Patrick Radden Keefe

Chatter: Dispatches from the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping

The Snakehead: The All-American Story of How a Chinatown Grandmother Built an International Smuggling Empire

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