NCJ Number
169205
Date Published
1996
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Illegal immigration from China was studied with respect to the group characteristics of the professional smugglers involved and their affiliation with Chinese organized crime groups.
Abstract
Information came from interviews with 300 illegal immigrants from New York City's Chinatown, interviews with others in the Chinese community of New York City, field research in the Chinese migrant community, and research trips to communities in China that send immigrants. Results revealed that the people involved in human trafficking can be grouped into eight categories: (1) big snakehead or arranger/investor, (2) little snakehead or recruiter, (3) transporter, (4) corrupt public official, (5) guide and crew member, (6) enforcer, (7) supporting personnel, and (8) debt collector. A close working relationship exists among leaders and members of a smuggling network, especially between the snakeheads in the United States and China. Smuggled Chinese migrants entering the United States rarely carry illegal drugs, despite contrary suggestions by officials in the United States. In addition, alien smuggling is crime that is organized rather than organized crime. Members of triads, tongs, and gangs are probably somewhat involved in trafficking undocumented Chinese, but their participation is not sanctioned and is not even known to their own organizations. The data suggest that the Chinese human trade is not dominated by organized crime or gang members. Instead, it is a global business initiated by Chinese-Americans of Fuzhounese extraction and supported not only by Taiwanese but also by Chinese and non-Chinese in many transit countries. Table and 27 references