| Title | : | Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity (Studies in Crime and Public Policy) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0195136276 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780195136272 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 233 |
| Publication | : | First published April 25, 1996 |
Ko-lin Chin makes clear that gang crime is inexorably linked to Chinatown's political economy and social history. He shows how gangs are formed to become "equalizers" within a social environment where individual and group conflicts, whether social, political, or economic, are unlikely to be solved in American courts. Moreover, Chin argues that Chinatown's informal economy provides yet another opportunity for street gangs to become "providers" or "protectors" of illegal services. These gangs, therefore, are the pathological manifestation of a closed community, one whose problems are not easily seen--and less easily understood--by outsiders.
Chin's concrete data on gang characteristics, activities, methods of operation and violence make him uniquely qualified to propose ways to restrain gang violence, and Chinatown Gangs closes with his specific policy suggestions. It is the definitive study of gangs in an American Chinatown.
Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity (Studies in Crime and Public Policy) Reviews
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Especially considering that this is an academic study and that Ko-Lin Chin's presumably a social scientist, this is a very engagingly written and interesting book. I'm pretty ignorant about both gangs and Chinese culture, but Chin did a great job of giving the context I needed and he maintained a human and highly readable tone throughout (with especially fun footnotes, which I always enjoy). The book was published in 1997, so it's a little old, and is the result of research in New York City's Chinese neighborhoods, specifically focused on extortion of Chinese merchants by Chinatown gangs. Chin and I guess his merry band of Rutgers grad students went around extensively interviewing merchants and gang members, and I have to say, usually when I read about research projects I think both the design and results sound pretty stupid, but this was fascinating and -- maybe I'm not supposed to say this, but -- very entertaining to read. The interview subjects come across as real people in a way that's rare in this kind of book. And I feel much more up to speed on my Chinatown gangs now, at least through the mid-nineties... This guy's more recent work sounds interesting, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cWnub... -
I personally found this book rather interesting due to me being a teen who is quite fond of Chinatown. The book answered many questions about the past for me as well as create new ones. I would have expected Chinatown to be a rather calm and peaceful place, but the book proved me wrong and completely changed the way I thought about what it truly is.
The various gangs displayed shows how Chinatown has developed from the 80s to now. Most of the gangs have been disbanded which makes me feel relieved, but if gangs started in the past, it made me think about now and the future. I would recommend this book for those seeking knowledge about the violent past of Chinatown as well as the violence that is still occurring.
