ereotyped as the "model minority whose values are benign: strong work ethic, low profile, honor students, loyalty of family" (Sigmund, 1995, p.8). "Someone who is quiet, studious, and who plays the violin" (Lee, 1992, p.129) "preserving the sacred worth of human life, religious faith, community spirit and.to be teachers of tolerance hard work, fiscal responsibility, cooperation and love" (Takaki, 1989, p. 474-475). Yet Asian crimes by teens, both individually and in gangs, "have been cropping up like weeds.What has gone wrong?" (Sigmund, 1995, p.8). There seems to be a huge irony here, when one compares popular views of Asian Americans and their admirable work ethic to the increasing incidences of Asian related youth crimes. Upon a second examination, one may begin to question whether the phenomenon of Asian American crimes actually opposes the model minority work ethic, consider crime as an occupation: if the Asian American work ethic focuses on succeeding in the new world, then crime can not be ruled out as a means of attaining financial success. (Sigmund, 1995)The history of Chinese gangs goes back to a mystical religious group formed over three hundred years ago in China. The group, "the Triad Society was made up of Buddhist and Taoist priests opposed the Manchu emperor K'ang His, who reigned from 1662 to 1723" (Gardner, 1983,p.15). The members of the society devoted themselves to politically humanitarian causes. They escaped persecution of the emperor going to Hong Kong, where "More than three quarters of the population was said to be connected to the Triad" (Gardner, 1983, p.15) After Sun Yat Sen founded the Chinese Republic using the Triad organization politically, it's members began fighting among themselves and turned to criminal activities. (Takaki, 1989) Other gangs originated in the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, and the Golden Crescent in Southwest Asia. A number of these groups came about as a result of so...
