China Tongs in America: Continuity and Opportunities

Abstract

Tongs are probably the most cited terminology when referring to Chinese organized crime in North America, although the terminology has faded somewhat in recent years from academic writings. However, to most U.S. law enforcement agencies and legislative bodies, tongs are still used to signify the underworld in Chinatowns. Depending on which government source one uses, tongs maybe considered a form of non-traditional Asian criminal enterprises, resembling street gangs more so than the traditional triads in Hong Kong or Yakuza in Japan.