NCJ Number
189933
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 345-355
Date Published
June 2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study identifies causal factors in the criminal smuggling of illegal Chinese immigrants into the United States.
Abstract
Since August 1991, a new type of international criminal activity has emerged. Illegal Chinese immigrants are being smuggled into various countries throughout the world through oceangoing ships, including the United States. This new wave of illegal global migration has promoted several social problems in the countries and areas affected, including unauthorized employment; substandard housing; political asylum schemes; and related crimes such as murder, kidnapping, ganging, and prostitution. Based on a content analysis and personal interviews with illegal Chinese immigrants, the current study found that this new crime phenomenon involved transnational criminal groups. The majority of the illegal immigrants come from Fujian Province. There is a historical tradition in this region that involves family pride in having one of its sons sending back large sums of money from overseas to help build a new house and/or sponsor a village banquet. A pattern has emerged whereby one "seed" individual settles in the United States and then induces other family members or relatives to join him/her. Other economic, social, and situational factors have further encouraged migration to other countries. Illegal immigration is the quickest means of entering other countries. This article discusses a theoretical explanation of the "demand and supply/pull and push" model. In the United States, one of the causes of illegal Chinese immigration is the demand for cheap labor in Chinatowns, the abundant labor supply in China's coastal regions, and the huge profit to be gained from such smuggling activities. Because illegal Chinese immigration has become a transnational crime, some comprehensive countermeasures are required to further strengthen current Federal strategies. This article recommends some countermeasures.