NCJ Number
171182
Journal
American Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1996) Pages: 27-42
Date Published
1996
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Research on Asian criminal gangs and organized crime is discussed with respect to the methodological barriers that researchers have encountered and a recommended research agenda to address these issues.
Abstract
Researchers who study Asian gangs and organized crime have encountered methodological difficulties that usually are not present in studies of traditional organized crime and gangs. The researchers' personal safety, sampling issues, and the reliability of responses from interviewees have required most of these studies to use a primarily qualitative approach; the main methods have been interviews and secondary data analysis. Language and cultural barriers, the cohesiveness of the Asian immigrant communities, and the international connections of the Asian crime groups have also hindered research. Researchers need to address definitional issues and appreciate the pluralistic and complex nature of Asian communities. They also need to incorporate region and ethnicity as units of analysis, enhance the reliability of responses of people who are interviewed, and recognize the impact of the news media on public attitudes toward Asian crime. Future research should also expand the theoretical framework on Asian gangs and organized crime by focusing on ecological factors, crime factors, group factors, victim factors, and crime control factors. 59 references (Author abstract modified)