Patriot Number One is the moving narrative of Zhuang Liehong, a Chinese village revolutionary who, under threat from local government backlash, escapes to America with his wife, Little Yan. Author Lauren Hilgers documents their odyssey from rural China to the labyrinth of New York City's Flushing, Queens. The pair start anew amidst a clandestine network of employment agencies, language schools, and the precarious underworld of asylum brokers. As they navigate cultural shocks and legal battles to secure their future and reunite with their son, their stories intertwine with those of others in the Chinese immigrant community, including Tang, a Tiananmen Square activist, and Karen, a young woman striving for the American dream against all odds. Hilgers weaves a rich tapestry of immigrant life with sharp observations and detail, laying bare the joys, struggles, and the enduring pull of the American dream.