York College Students Create Podcast to Research and Discuss the Golden Venture

Students in the “Podcasting the Past" class created an eight-part series that delves into the harrowing journey of the cargo ship that smuggled 286 Chinese immigrants into the United States in 1993.

Hours before the sun rose on June 6, 1993, a cargo ship ran aground in Queens, New York. Nearly 300 Chinese immigrants–men, women, and children–had spent four tumultuous months trekking halfway across the world to escape persecution, violence, and a repressive regime. Instead of freedom, detention greeted the refugees. Over 100 of them were housed at York County Prison, some for years.  

Students in York College of Pennsylvania’s “Podcasting the Past” class, taught by Associate Professor of History Jacqueline Beatty, Ph.D., spent the 2024 Spring Semester delving into that story, turning their classroom into a storytelling hub. Through an eight-part podcast series titled “Golden Dreams,” students explored the dramatic and poignant stories of the passengers aboard the Golden Venture. 

The series, released in late May, explores the harrowing journey and the subsequent struggles of the 286 Chinese citizens who sought asylum in the United States. The idea for the series developed when the York Bar Association, which worked with the immigrants after they were detained, reached out to the College.

“The York Bar Association approached one of my colleagues to ask if they had an interest in having students digitize their materials on that topic,” Dr. Beatty says. “I asked if they could use the source files for a podcast.”

Unexpected refugee support

The Golden Venture incident marked a significant moment in American immigration. A couple of podcast episodes put the events into historical context. According to Dr. Beatty, the ship ran aground on Long Island three months after the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City by Islamic terrorists, which killed six people and injured more than 1,000. Xenophobia was rampant, and the refugees were detained in part as an example for other refugees considering a similar effort. 

Those who supported the detainment assumed that the refugees would be forgotten once they were out of the public eye. Instead, the York community came out to support the detainees. For years, protestors on both sides of the political aisle took to the streets, often to oppose the detainment. 

The students gleaned many details from the Bar Association papers, such as the fact that several of the passengers left China to flee its repressive one-child policy for families and stories about authorities destroying family homes before their eyes, people being brutally beaten, and women forced to undergo sterilization. 

Students also gained information through interviews with those involved in the original incident, including lawyers and protesters. The podcasting course aimed to immerse students in experiential learning, equipping them with skills that extend beyond traditional historical research. 

“We love to do project-based learning to get students involved in creation and production. They were using the same skills and methods used in our history classes–research and critical thinking and writing–but they were also creating something for the public. It has a kind of higher purpose,” Dr. Beatty says.

‘An amazing experience’

The project was not without challenges. Students had to manage their time effectively to produce a comprehensive podcast series in a single semester, all while conducting thorough research and interviews and maintaining high production quality. They worked with Jeffrey Schiffman, Lecturer in Communication and WVYC radio station manager, to learn how to operate podcasting equipment and editing software. 

Benjamin Werkley ’26, a Public History major, played a multifaceted role in the project, helping with research, writing, script revision, editing, and recording of audio for two episodes and the series trailer.  

“It was amazing to get to work with the original legal documents used by the lawyers involved with the Golden Venture. It was an amazing window into almost every aspect of this story,” he says. “Conducting the interviews with the people involved with the Golden Venture was fascinating.” 

He recalls an interview with York-based attorney Jeffrey Lobach, managing partner and CEO at Barley Snyder, who represented a passenger involved in the pro-democracy movement in China. The young man fled his hometown and hid on a farm after the Chinese government cracked down on the movement. Eventually, he left for the United States aboard the Golden Venture, seeking the freedom he had fought for in China. 

Such poignant narratives deeply influenced Werkley’s understanding of the immigrant experience and the harsh realities and political exploitation that many asylum seekers faced.

Alumnus Alaina Crowell ’24, a Public History major, and research partner Ryn Johnson ’25, a History major, approached their episode from a different angle. They conducted research separately, then used the recording session as an opportunity to teach each other what they had learned.  

“The idea was that we’d be learning alongside listeners,” they say.

Future opportunities

The project opened Crowell’s eyes to the systemic issues surrounding immigration, illuminating the fact that government officials at all levels and in both parties continue to vilify immigrants for political gain, regardless of the ethics of the situation. 

Dr. Beatty hopes the podcast series will gain traction and attention in and beyond the academic community. She believes that what the students most want listeners to understand is the paradoxical nature of the American dream and the prospects versus the reality of immigrating to this country.

Through “Golden Dreams,” York College students not only have honed their skills in historical research and podcast production but contributed to the broader conversation about immigration and human rights. Their work is just one aspect of majoring in Public History, which incorporates interdisciplinary studies to provide career and professional training for jobs in museums, archives, national parks, and other public-facing, history-rich outlets. 

“Come join us!” Dr. Beatty says. “We’re not just reading and researching history. We’re creating it!”

The eight episodes of “Golden Dreams” can be found at https://goldendreams.podbean.com or on most major podcast apps. Show notes and transcripts can be found at https://ycphistpolisci.com/golden-dreams-podcast/.