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| founded by = |
| founded by = |
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| years active = 1961-1964 |
| years active = 1961-1964 |
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| territory = |
| territory =[[Chinatown, Manhattan]] |
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| ethnic makeup = [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] |
| ethnic makeup = [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] |
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| membership est = |
| membership est = 100 |
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| criminal activities = |
| criminal activities = Vandalism and Assault |
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| allies = |
| allies = |
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| rivals = |
| rivals = |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''Continentals''' ({{zh|大陸幣|}}) were a [[Chinese American]] street gang that was prominent in New York City's [[Chinatown, Manhattan|Chinatown]] in the early 1960s. |
The '''Continentals''' ({{zh|大陸幣|}}) were a [[Chinese American]] street gang that was prominent in New York City's [[Chinatown, Manhattan|Chinatown]] in the early 1960s. |
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==Origins== |
==Origins== |
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The Continentals were created in 1961 to protect Chinese students from attacks other ethnic groups |
The Continentals were created in 1961 by ABCs (American Born Chinese) high school students for self preservation to protect Chinese students from attacks from other ethnic groups, such as Puerto Ricans, Italians and African Americans. One example was when African American Gangs from the Smith Projects where one continental remembers when he used to pass by they would throw dirty diapers out the window and call him Chinaman. |
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The Continentals were the first ABCs (American Born Chinese) gang created in [[Chinatown Manhattan]] |
The Continentals were the first ABCs (American Born Chinese) gang created in [[Chinatown Manhattan]]. In the early sixties several "juk tuk" clubs began to appear. Foremost were the Continentals, a bunch who spent a good deal of time looking into the mirror, practicing complex handshakes. The gang got their name from ripping of insignia from Lincoln Continentals cars.<ref>{{cite book |last = Jacobson|first = Mark|title =American Gangster: And Other Tales of New York|year = 2007| url= https://archive.org/details/americangangster00jaco_0|url-access = registration|page = [https://archive.org/details/americangangster00jaco_0/page/99 99]|quote = Continental.|publisher = Black Cat|isbn= 978-1433211720}}</ref> |
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==Criminal history== |
==Criminal history== |
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Prior to immigration law in 1965 the only active Chinese street gang were The Continentals. There crimes were mostly non violent mostly vandalism but never had a reputation of violent crimes |
Prior to immigration law in 1965 the only active Chinese street gang were The Continentals. There crimes were mostly non violent mostly vandalism but never had a reputation of violent crimes and not having a [[Racket (crime)|money making purpose]]. |
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| ⚫ | The Continentals inability to ingrate with a tong also diminished its status within the community leaving the gang |
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==Membership== |
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The Continentals were a large gang with up to 100 members. After some time they had trouble recruiting because of the small number of native-born Chinese, where as new gangs such as the White Eagles and Chung Yee were able to recruit new members such as immigrants from Hong Kong and mainland China.<ref>{{cite book |last = Chin, Kelly, Schatzberg|first = Ko-lin, Robert J, Rufus |title =Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States|year = 1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWg1Efv5C5UC&q=the+continentals+gang%3Dfalse&pg=PA218|publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group Inc.|isbn= 0313283664}}</ref> |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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The Continentals will be |
The Continentals will be remembered as members that as a gang that did have a relationship of non violence to the community as compared to the gangs that followed. |
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For example one ex member became a Chinatown social worker who used to be a former continental to try and make a truce with the Chinatown gangs so they could get a government grant who tried to give up their evil ways and get decent jobs which happened to be a scam to con the Federal government in grant money. |
For example, one ex member became a Chinatown social worker who used to be a former continental to try and make a truce with the Chinatown gangs so they could get a government grant who tried to give up their evil ways and get decent jobs which happened to be a scam to con the Federal government in grant money.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/10/archives/5-hurt-in-chinatown-gang-fight-flareup-follows-months-truce.html|title=5 HURT IN CHINATOWN GANG FIGHT; FLARE-UP FOLLOWS MONTH'S TRUCE|date=1976-09-10|accessdate=2019-02-02 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/17/archives/chinatown-gunmen-slay-tw0-in-24-hours-police-fear-renewal-of.html|title=CHINATOWN GUNMEN SLAY TWO IN 24 HOURS|date=1976-10-17|accessdate=2019-02-02 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | They will remembered |
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<ref>{{cite book |last = Jacobson|first = Mark|title =American Gangster: And Other Tales of New York|year = 2007| url= https://archive.org/details/americangangster00jaco_0|url-access = registration|page = [https://archive.org/details/americangangster00jaco_0/page/99 99]|quote = Mike Chen.|publisher = Black Cat|isbn= 978-1433211720}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The Continentals inability to ingrate with a tong also diminished its status within the community leaving the gang active for only 3 years.<ref>{{cite book |last = Chin|first = Ko-lin|title =Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity|year = 2000| url= https://archive.org/details/chinatowngangsex0000chin|url-access = registration|page = [https://archive.org/details/chinatowngangsex0000chin/page/230 230]|quote = White Tigers.|publisher = Oxford University Press|isbn= 0195136276}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | They will remembered as being created to combat other ethnic gangs and racism of their time. In the late sixties with the 1965 immigration law new gangs started to merge in Chinatown succeeding the legacy left behind by the Continentals and known for less violence in comparison to the new gangs that were to come like the [[Ghost Shadows]] and [[Flying Dragons]] that were extremely more violent and had the principal objective of [[Racket (crime)|racketeering]].<ref>{{cite book |last = Chin, Kelly, Schatzberg|first = Ko-lin, Robert J, Rufus |title =Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States|year = 1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWg1Efv5C5UC&q=handbook+of+asian+organized+crime+white+tigers&pg=PA220|publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group Inc.|isbn= 0313283664}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Kontos, Brotherton |first = Louis, David |title =Encyclopedia of Gangs|year = 2008 | url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofga00kont|url-access = registration |quote = Continentals. |publisher = GREENWOOD PRESS|isbn= 978-0313334023}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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<references />{{Organized crime groups in New York City}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Former gangs in New York City]] |
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[[Category:Chinese-American gangs]] |
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[[Category:1960s in New York City]] |
[[Category:1960s in New York City]] |
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[[Category:1961 establishments in New York |
[[Category:1961 establishments in New York City]] |
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[[Category:Chinatown, Manhattan]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:11, 15 January 2024
| Founded | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Founding location | New York City |
| Years active | 1961-1964 |
| Territory | Chinatown, Manhattan |
| Ethnicity | Chinese |
| Membership (est.) | 100 |
| Criminal activities | Vandalism and Assault |
The Continentals (Chinese: 大陸幣) were a Chinese American street gang that was prominent in New York City's Chinatown in the early 1960s.
Origins
[edit]The Continentals were created in 1961 by ABCs (American Born Chinese) high school students for self preservation to protect Chinese students from attacks from other ethnic groups, such as Puerto Ricans, Italians and African Americans. One example was when African American Gangs from the Smith Projects where one continental remembers when he used to pass by they would throw dirty diapers out the window and call him Chinaman. The Continentals were the first ABCs (American Born Chinese) gang created in Chinatown Manhattan. In the early sixties several "juk tuk" clubs began to appear. Foremost were the Continentals, a bunch who spent a good deal of time looking into the mirror, practicing complex handshakes. The gang got their name from ripping of insignia from Lincoln Continentals cars.[1]
Criminal history
[edit]Prior to immigration law in 1965 the only active Chinese street gang were The Continentals. There crimes were mostly non violent mostly vandalism but never had a reputation of violent crimes and not having a money making purpose.
Membership
[edit]The Continentals were a large gang with up to 100 members. After some time they had trouble recruiting because of the small number of native-born Chinese, where as new gangs such as the White Eagles and Chung Yee were able to recruit new members such as immigrants from Hong Kong and mainland China.[2]
Legacy
[edit]The Continentals will be remembered as members that as a gang that did have a relationship of non violence to the community as compared to the gangs that followed. For example, one ex member became a Chinatown social worker who used to be a former continental to try and make a truce with the Chinatown gangs so they could get a government grant who tried to give up their evil ways and get decent jobs which happened to be a scam to con the Federal government in grant money.[3] [4] [5] The Continentals inability to ingrate with a tong also diminished its status within the community leaving the gang active for only 3 years.[6] They will remembered as being created to combat other ethnic gangs and racism of their time. In the late sixties with the 1965 immigration law new gangs started to merge in Chinatown succeeding the legacy left behind by the Continentals and known for less violence in comparison to the new gangs that were to come like the Ghost Shadows and Flying Dragons that were extremely more violent and had the principal objective of racketeering.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ Jacobson, Mark (2007). American Gangster: And Other Tales of New York. Black Cat. p. 99. ISBN 978-1433211720.
Continental.
- ^ Chin, Kelly, Schatzberg, Ko-lin, Robert J, Rufus (1994). Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group Inc. ISBN 0313283664.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "5 HURT IN CHINATOWN GANG FIGHT; FLARE-UP FOLLOWS MONTH'S TRUCE". The New York Times. 1976-09-10. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ "CHINATOWN GUNMEN SLAY TWO IN 24 HOURS". The New York Times. 1976-10-17. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ Jacobson, Mark (2007). American Gangster: And Other Tales of New York. Black Cat. p. 99. ISBN 978-1433211720.
Mike Chen.
- ^ Chin, Ko-lin (2000). Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity. Oxford University Press. p. 230. ISBN 0195136276.
White Tigers.
- ^ Chin, Kelly, Schatzberg, Ko-lin, Robert J, Rufus (1994). Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group Inc. ISBN 0313283664.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Kontos, Brotherton, Louis, David (2008). Encyclopedia of Gangs. GREENWOOD PRESS. ISBN 978-0313334023.
Continentals.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)