The Untold Story of Vice, Money and Murder in New York's Chinatown

Most Americans will be aware that in mid-19th century, thousands of young Chinese men were imported to the United States from the southern province of Guangdong to work in the gold fields and lay railroads. They were expected to return home afterward, but many did not.

As in Hong Kong in the mid-20th century, the new arrivals formed close-knit social groups, usually based on their place of origin in China, to help deal with the unfamiliar laws and customs of their new home. In New York City in those days, corrupt administration and policing opened up money-making opportunities in extortion, gambling, drugs and prostitution, and Chinese communities took advantage of this. Their antics were reflected in popular culture.