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The need for social institutions arises when minorities
of a dominant culture need a place in which their own culture and values
are represented. It was necessary to create an establishment, whose
sponsors were natives to their own country, and also created activities
and social gatherings for themselves and other minorities. Bridgeport
has commonly been host to many social institutions for minority groups,
such as the Italians and the Puerto Ricans. The Chinese, in comparison
to the other minority groups that live there, were slow to establish
their own social institutions. There were only four official institutions
as of 1995, and all are religious based institutions and churches. As
the Chinese began to establish their own community, Bridgeport was also
creating accommodations for the non-English speaking community. For
example, they implemented English as a Second Language (ESL) in many
churches and the Daley Public Library, classes to learn Chinese or Cantonese,
and they also designated Chinese-Americans as precinct captains. Nevertheless
there was still a need for Chinese based institutions. Although there
were many attempts to assimilate and integrate the Chinese community,
social isolation could not be helped. Immigrants often find themselves
estranged or isolated from their community due to language barriers,
culture clashes, as well as rejection by the community or rejection
of the community they live in.
Social institutions were also developed in the Chinese community as
a response to the treat of nativist whites in the 1840’s and 1850’s
and the anti-Asian racism that was occurring, as mentioned before. There
was a need for an “organized fraternal society to protect members”
(Potter 6). And so, Tongs were originally developed as a merchant’s
association but soon evolved in order to help preserve the cultural
identity in the American society and also to provide a social outlet
(Richard C. 2). Although Tongs were developed all over the country as
legitimate businesses and associations, one in particular developed
in Chicago that became notorious in having a hand in developing gang
activity. Although how gang activity branched off of a social legitimate
institution is unknown. Donald Kodluboy offers some reasons why:
The social group to which the gang belongs may determine gang structure
and significance. Gangs may arise and form their structure either as
an accepted or as an unofficial subset of established community groups…In
some instances, criminally involved adults affiliated with a generally
legitimate social organization may influence and provide support for
youth gang development within the structure of the organization. Though
generally not sanctioned by the community elders, such gangs may nonetheless
derive some support from acceptance or tolerance within the sponsoring
group. Therefore, legitimate social structures may provide the converging
and cohesive forces necessary to allow a gang to form. (3)
Even though “Tong gangs” were virtually unheard of in China,
they were a prominent source of gang activity in cities all over the
country and especially in Chicago’s Chinatown. The most notorious
Tong, which developed into a criminal organization, was the On Leong
Merchant’s Association located on 22nd and Wentworth Avenue. Officials
believed that the On Leong Association used the façade of restaurants
and gift shops to cover the illegal gambling and so-called illegal ‘casinos.’
The On Leong Association soon began to be run by their subgroup of gang
members, the On Leongs that have existed as long as the mafia has. Their
presence as well as other illegal activities began when the original
Chinatown on Polk and Congress moved to Wentworth, where it stands today,
“following the migration of the Levee merchants, gambling bosses,
tricksters, and dope fiends from downtown into the South Side badlands”
(Richard C. 3). Although Chinese gangs never had the political ties
and links to the outfit as the Italians or the Irish, they did have
a few. In 1991 the On Leong Merchant Association was under the scrutiny
of the federal racketeering trial that exposed their links to the multi-million
dollar gambling ring and also their ties to the Chicago outfit (Touhy
1). This raid, which failed to reach a verdict, also exposed Wilson
Moy of Chinatown on tax conspiracy charges. Another discovery was made
through this raid was that Moy, known as Willie and often referred to
as the unofficial “mayor of Chinatown,” had also made attempts
of bribery. A Chicago lawyer named Robert Cooley who turned into a mob
informant stated that Moy had given 100,000 dollars to the former 1st
Ward Alderman Fred Roti and Pat Marcy so that Marcy would ‘influence’
the outcome of a murder case in the Cook County Circuit Court in 1981.
Pat Marcy was the infamous secretary of the First Ward Democratic Organization
that had links to the mafia and eventually became a made member, and
working under Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana (Touhy 1). Although the
On Leong headquarters have been converted into a religious and cultural
meeting place called the Pui Tak Center, it is believed that the On
Leongs are still “at an all time high, flush with cash and power.”
There are also many organizations still running gambling rings and have
not changed their criminal ways.