Their World, Not Ours - Hmong Gangs in America

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Criminal gangs in immigrant communities are an American tradition, from the Irish, Italian, and Jewish gangs of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the Russian and Vietnamese gangs of more recent years. Though gangs can provide excitement, income, and a sense of belonging, the proliferation of Hmong gangs is an ominous sign of the continued erosion of Hmong culture in the United States.

Some Hmong kids don't feel they fit in with American society, but they can't relate to their parents' culture, either. They're adrift, looking to grab hold of anything that will keep them afloat. The gangs provide temporary buoyancy until the kids are shot, jailed, or wise up …