Asian and Latino Gangs: Community and Justice System Impact

Introduction: Gang Violence and Immigration

Gang violence today is a problem that no American community can fully escape. The crime associated with gang activity is so vast and varied that many within law enforcement find it very difficult to curb successfully. Part of the differing nature of gang activity stems from the distinct racial groups that reinforce their own identities through gang life. Sons, daughters, and grandchildren of immigrants — many within the Asian and Latino communities — are lured into their own unique versions of gang life on American streets. Asian and Latino gangs differ in nature but share similarities in how they affect both the communities around them and the criminal justice system in this country, which attempts to curb the rising tide of gang violence in the United States today.

Minority gangs are strongly linked to patterns and waves of immigration within specific urban hubs for particular ethnic groups. The most recent influx of immigrants into the United States stems from Asian and Latin American countries, leading to more and more Asian and Latino gang activity in certain cities. Fear of crime related to waves of immigration has been around for generations: "Rising immigration into the United States coincided with an increased fear of crime in many areas — a presumed connection dating back to at least the early 1900s" (Martinez & Valenzuela 2006:7). As more and more members of a single culture move into an area, they begin to consider it their own. Gang activity itself, and the crime which stems from it, has become part of the larger conversation regarding current immigration policies and practices: "discussion of social problems stereotypically associated with racial minorities […] have now become important themes in the public immigration debate" (Martinez & Valenzuela 2006:1).

When the larger American economic and political system fails them, many turn to gang violence as a way to survive in a harsh modern world. Many of these ethnic and cultural groups are relegated to a lesser position in society than many native-born citizens, which leads to further prejudice and disenfranchisement. It is this disenfranchisement that forces many youths into gang culture as a way to escape the hardships of poverty-stricken lives: "Yet victimization among this group is an important social problem to explore, since it both contributes to crime in the United States and helps form immigrants' perception of the criminal justice system" (Martinez & Valenzuela 2006:2). Although numerous gangs within the United States revolve around native-born individuals, Asian and Latino gangs have strong ties to recent immigration waves and to disenfranchisement within the modern economy.

Asian-American Gangs: Origins and Street Presence

One of the largest groups of culturally associated gang members can be found within the modern Asian-American population of large urban areas. They fit the profile of a minority group struggling to make it in contemporary America: "Many Asians struggle to adapt to a new country and social environment and face challenges of making a living, whether they are immigrants themselves, U.S.-born children of immigrants, or from families who have been in the U.S. for several generations" (Le 2009:1). Many Asian individuals therefore turn to a gang lifestyle to provide for themselves and their families when they cannot adapt quickly enough to the fast pace of American life.

This means seeking protection and care for their families, but not through conventional means. Many Asian gang members turn toward illicit methods of generating income: "Unfortunately, many of these groups are based on the belief that the only way for them to achieve 'success' in American society is to accomplish those goals through 'unconventional' methods — i.e., crime" (Le 2009:1). As a result, Asian-American gangs operate on the streets of major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. They maintain their own unique traditions and codes within gang life, some of which trace back to cultural heritage. Nevertheless, these gangs negatively affect the world around them.

Community Impact of Asian Gangs

Many Asian gangs have a detrimental effect on the local Asian-American community in which they were born and operate. It is characteristic of Asian gangs to fight fiercely over territory they consider their own or their community's. This disrupts community life in several ways: it places average citizens in danger when they cross turf boundaries and endangers local businesses by exposing storefronts and customers to gang violence. Yet the worst impact within the community is the damage inflicted on private citizens of their own community through robbery: "But their specialty, for which they've received a lot of media and law enforcement attention, is a type of robbery called a 'home invasion'" (Le 2009:1).

This type of robbery is particularly violating — the perpetrator enters the confines of the home, a sacred space for the family living there. These crimes are also notable because they are directed specifically at members of the gang's own community: neighbors, friends, and local business owners are all targets. This pattern is further enabled by the Asian community's tendency to avoid involving police, a reluctance rooted largely in the failure of police both in the U.S. and in Asian countries of origin: "Asian youth gangs almost always target Asian families for home invasions because these families are less likely to report such crimes to the police" (Le 2009:1). By exploiting the traditions and fears of their own community, many Asian gang members take full advantage of their insider knowledge.