The city remains in the midst of a crackdown on food delivery workers, claiming (without evidence) that they are a threat to public safety. Meanwhile, the well-to-do order food via Seamless and other apps, never giving a thought to the person who delivers the food, still piping hot.

So meet Deqing Lian — one of the thousands of underpaid, overworked and barely acknowledged New Yorkers who provide this valuable service and suffer the arbitrary punishment from the NYPD. Here is his story, which I am telling as part of a documentary project on the lives of New York City delivery people:

Tell us how you came to America.

I came in 2000. Since that point, I am always busy working. During my first six years of life in America, I worked seven days a week, up to 16 hours per day. To pay off my debt from the snakehead [smuggler] who brought me to the U.S., I worked two or sometimes three jobs at one time in order to earn $1,000 or so per month.

How much did you owe the smuggler?

I don’t remember exactly. I owed not only the fee, but also high-interest on the debt. I paid about $800 per month for about six years. I had to pay off it off as soon as possible, otherwise, they would beat me up and hurt my family in Fujian countryside.

How did you survive on so little money?

I have no money and no time to go shopping. … I wake up in the restaurant and sleep in the restaurant. I am not going anywhere so I don’t need to buy clothing. Often, I spent about $30 per month for personal expenses. In the hardest times, I spent only a dollar a month. At our time, in late 1990s to early 2000s, most of us came from the rural areas of the Fujian province in China. It’s very common for us to be a “slave” for five to 10 years to pay off these debts. Luckily, after I played off my debt, I was able to bring my family to New York to reunite with them after two years. So it’s all worth it.

Why did you work as a deliveryman?

I don’t know any English and I have no chance to study. Working in a Chinese restaurant is my only option. Doing delivery work is a good position for a lot of us. My base salary is about $40 per day, plus tips from customers. Usually people tip me about $2 to $4 for each delivery. Many times, people forget to give tips or just give me some coins.