RIDE WITH DELIVERY WORKERS frames the intersectional struggle of essential frontline food delivery workers. The film rides alongside workers, exploring the largely unseen and unexamined lives and labor of NYC’s immigrant delivery workers.
It is a modern-day bicycle thief story of immigrant food delivery workers in NYC, created by the filmmaker Jing Wang, who is also a translator and activist from the local immigrant community. The film follows Jing’s 7-year journey as she rides alongside these workers through immigrant struggles, discriminatory policing, Asian hate crimes, health and safety challenges these low-wage informal employees face during COVID.
At its heart, Jing emotionally connects with workers through her own story, that of a daughter of a Chinese migrant worker who left in search of financial success, never to return. She sees these workers as street heroes, like the Kung Fu warriors in movies she grew up with. Most people don’t see them this way. In fact, many do not see them at all. This largely invisible workforce has been easily taken advantage of.
Now, together, they rise against discrimination and the demonizing of Asian immigrants, finding their own voice and purpose.
