In 2015, dramatic headlines ushered Chinese 'birth tourism' into the American imagination, after FBI and Homeland Security agents stormed dozens of 'maternity hotels' suspected of operating illegally across Southern California, inflaming xenophobia and anti-China sentiment already on the rise. This documentary goes beyond these headlines and provides a refined, neverbefore- seen insider’s look at this phenomenon. It takes us on a kaleidoscopic voyage into the shadow economy catering to Chinese tourists who travel to the US to give birth for citizenship. Told through a series of intimately observed vignettes, the story of a hidden global economy emerges, depicting the fortunes and tragedies that befall the ordinary people caught in its web. With unprecedented access, the documentary, Tai’s debut, deftly recounts all sides of this often sensationalized issue, while capturing the fortunes and tragedies of the people caught in a global economic system that exploits and capitalizes on their desire for an American passport.