Southeast Asian Gangs

The first of two distinct waves of Southeast Asian immigrants occurred just prior to the fall of Saigon in 1975. It was comprised of immigrants who were generally older, well-educated and somewhat familiar with American culture. Upon the fall of Saigon, a tremendous second wave poured in, many of whom were young and less educated than their predecessors.

Among them were criminals who formed groups to prey on the wealthier and more established immigrants from the first wave. In Vietnam, these criminals were involved in extortion, drug trafficking, prostitution and gambling. After emigrating to the United States, they continued these activities, preying on Asian immigrants, Asian-Americans and Asian businesses. New immigrants were particularly vulnerable to crime because they were reluctant to go to the police. In their homeland, the police were frequently agents of oppressive political regimes and not to be trusted.

Southeast Asian gangs are known to be very violent and are often more sophisticated than other gangs. Many of the members lack ties to any one community, making it easy to travel from city to city committing crimes. They have been able to establish informal communications and networking among different ethnic gangs throughout the country who provide tools, training, temporary housing and information on local conditions and potential targets.

A unique trait among Asian gangs is the trend toward scarring or mutilation of skin, as opposed to tattooing. This process partially originates in Asian culture and traditions, where, in order to atone for guilt, a person is expected to undergo pain or even death. The Asian gang members know they are "bad" or have to some extent shamed their families by their crimes. For this reason, many use scarring or burning to mark themselves. In such a way, they are better able to live with themselves knowing they have "atoned" through pain for the guild and shame they feel.

Some Asian gang members will go to far greater extent to conceal their gang affiliation than their other gang counterparts. They often attempt to explain away tattoos or markings as being something non-gang related.