NCJ Number
177595
Date Published
1998
Length
43 pages
Annotation
Eight papers focus on various aspects of Asian cultures, notably Chinese culture, and cultural manifestations in Asian organized crime.
Abstract
The first paper provides tips and comments on the mind and manners of Chinese, so as to facilitate interactions with Chinese by those from other cultures. The second paper discusses issues in the classification of Asian names in organized crime investigations databases, followed by a third paper on the Chinese practice of "guanxi." "Guanxi" is translated into English as "relationship" or "connections," but it also has the meaning of "intercourse." For Chinese, "guanxi" involves constant and close identification with a variety of groups beyond the family. This is a cultural norm and expectation. The manifestation of this cultural norm in Chinese criminal enterprises is discussed in another paper. "Guanxi" facilitates organized crime networks because of the multiplicity of loyal contacts that "guanxi" fosters and maintains. This poses great difficulty in breaching and investigating Chinese organized crime networks. Another paper discusses how money is viewed and managed under the concepts of "guanxi" manifested in crimes by Asians. Other papers address overcoming language and cultural barriers in dealing with Asian organized crime, relating the practice of "guanxi" to the art of influence in the West, and the importance for Western investigators of Asian organized crime to commit to learning about Asian cultures. Notes accompany the papers.