U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Asian Emerging Crime Groups: Examining the Definition of Organized Crime

NCJ Number
155608
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (Autumn 1994) Pages: 228-243
Author(s)
J H Song; J Dombrink
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article discusses organized crime, criminal street gangs, and criminal groups within each of the three primary Asian ethnic groups included in the analysis, i.e., Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
Abstract
The data were gathered from interviews conducted with law enforcement officials and Asian community leaders. The analysis was based on the definition of organized crime presented by M.D. Maltz in a 1985 article. The results show, that of the three groups described, Vietnamese gangs are least likely to receive international assistance to pursue their criminal activities in the U.S. The many forms of activities and structures that fall under the rubric of Asian organized crime differ from each other in form, culture, purpose, and ramifications. Some fit standard definitions of organized crime, but are being furthered through unique cultural forms and victimization patterns; others resemble gang activities but have the potential to evolve into more systematic forms of crime. In addition to dealing with issues of jurisdiction, resources, and penalties vis-a-vis organized crime, there is a need to put Asian criminal activities into the broader context of growing multinational crime. 33 references

Downloads

No download available

Availability