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South Korean Immigrants and Crime: A Case Study

NCJ Number
125388
Journal
Journal of Ethnic Studies Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (1989) Pages: 47-80
Author(s)
M R Pogrebin; E D Poole
Date Published
1989
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the nature and causes of crime in the Korean-American community focuses on the relationship between imported cultural values and criminal activity, using data from Korean immigrants in Aurora, Colo., a city that is part of the Denver Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Abstract
Data came from a 6-month field study that included observations of police detective work and a detailed analysis of five criminal cases. The cases included a kidnapping and aggravated assault of a Korean newspaper reporter by seven other Koreans, a murder of a Korean woman and attempted suicide by the perpetrator in a Korean bar and restaurant, a case of child sexual abuse, a beating of a Korean businessman when paying gambling debts to a Chinese-operated tong, and an assault on a Korean man by two Korean males outside a Korean bar-restaurant. Findings showed the role of cultural factors in these crimes and in victims' unwillingness to cooperate with police. Results also suggested the need for proactive community policing to promote crime reporting and control. Detailed analyses of individual cases and 45 references.

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