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Marrian Zhou, “Why so many middle-class Chinese migrants take risky, illegal route to U.S.,” Nikkei Asia

ABOUT THE WORK: After China opened up its borders post-covid, there was a significant surge in Chinese migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally via South America. Besides details of the risky route to the U.S., what's so special about this wave of Chinese migrants is the sharp increase in migrant family units -- millennial middle class families with young children.

It was the first story to dissect the Chinese migrant groups and offered a unique angle to understand the profound economic and political challenges China's zero-covid policy has placed on average families, who otherwise could have lived very well and stayed in China. It was the lost of hope.

Through the lens of Chinese migrant families, the story painted a picture of China's long-standing social issues. The lack of social security benefits and uneven education resources contributed to the already harsh economic consequences from the zero-covid policy. Many middle class families lost faith in the Chinese government and they did not believe their children could have a future in China. For the sake of their next generation, they decided to embark on a dangerous journey to come to the U.S. illegally.

Marrian Zhou is a journalist covering a wide range of topics in the U.S.-China space. Her works have appeared in CNET, Nikkei Asia and Financial Times. Born and raised between Beijing and Los Angeles, Zhou is a native speaker in both English and Mandarin and she has been passionate in telling the stories of everyday folks and underrepresented nuanced narratives. She is also a graduate of Columbia Journalism School.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Yamamura, “Lost at Parkland: ‘Peter Was Always My Translator’,” The New York Times

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