Law Enforcement Contact With Asian/Pacific Americans

1. Law Enforcement ContactWith Asian/Pacific Americans Chapter 5

2. Learning Objectives for Chapter 5 • Review the historical background, demographics, and diversity within the Asian/Pacific American community in the United States • Discuss the implications of communication styles, group identification terms, myths and stereotypes, and family structure of Asian/Pacific Americans for law enforcement

3. Learning Objectives for Chapter 5 • Describe the impact of the extended family and community, gender roles, generational differences, adolescent and youth issues on law enforcement contact • Highlight key law enforcement concerns and skills, resources, and practices for addressing some of these concerns

4. Asian/Pacific Americans Overview • For the past four decades, largest proportional increases in any ethnic minority group in the U.S. • 76 percent growth for the decade 1990 to 2000 • Growth in major urban areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Honolulu, San Diego, Chicago, Houston, and Seattle • Highest citizenship rates among all foreign-born groups (52 percent are naturalized citizens)

5. Asian/Pacific Americans Defined • Contraction of two terms • Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders • Self-designation preferred over “Oriental” • Refers to 40 ethnic or cultural groups or more

6. 40 Ethnic and Cultural Groups Bangladeshi Belauan Bhutanese Bruneian Cambodian Chamorro Chinese Fijian Hawaiian Hmong Indian Indonesian Japanese Kiribati Korean Laotian Malaysian Maldivian Marshallese Micronesia Mongolian Myanmarese Nauruan Nepalese Ni-Vanuatu Okinawan Pakistani Pilipino Samoan Singaporean Sri Lankan Tahitian Taiwanese Tibetan Tongan Thai Tuvaluan Vietnamese Saipan Carolinian Solomon Islander

7. Refugees • Sponsored by the U.S. Government • Largest number from Southeast Asia • Entitled to public support services • Public programs can create dependency

8. Immigrants • Direct sponsorship of individual’s families • Financial support from family or employment • Requirement of self-sufficiency for permanent residence status • Avoidance of public service programs

9. Immigration to the United States • 1850s—Chinese to California gold mines and transcontinental railroad • Mostly men and followed by Japanese, Pilipinos, Koreans, and South Asian Indians • Worked as laborers and at other domestic and menial jobs

10. Anti-Asian Federal, State, andLocal Laws • 1850s—Americans resentful of Chinese for their strong work ethic and willingness to do laborer’s work • 1882—Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigrants for ten years and was extended • 1880 to 1920—Chinese population dropped by 40,000

11. Anti-Asian Federal, State, and Local Laws • 1907—Gentleman’s Agreement between Japan and the United States • Family members of Japanese in U.S. allowed to enter • Japanese American population increased from 25,000 in 1900 to 127,000 to 1940

12. Anti-Asian Federal, State, andLocal Laws • The Immigration Act of 1917 banned all Asiatic countries except the Philippines • The Immigration Act of 1924 restricted all countries to 2 percent from 1890 “NOP” • The 2 percent restriction did not change until 1965

13. Anti-Asian Federal, State, and Local Laws • The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 limited Philipino immigration to 50 a year • 1935—Free one-way ticket to the Philippines • 1943—The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed • 1965—The McCarran-Walter Act fixed the quota at 20,000 per year with the “fifth preference” category

14. People v. HallCalifornia Supreme Court in 1854 • Hall, a white defendant, had been convicted of murdering a Chinese man on the basis of testimony provided by one white and three Chinese witnesses • Court threw out Hall’s murder conviction on the basis that state law prohibited blacks, mulattos, or Indians from testifying in favor of or against whites in court

15. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 in 1942 • Over 100,000 Japanese Americans • Evacuation and incarceration • Called “Internment” • No one was convicted of any crime

16. Demographics ofAsian/Pacific Americans • 12.8 million which is 4.5 percent population of U.S. • Largest groups are Chinese, Pilipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Cambodian, Pakistani, Laotian, Hmong, Thai, Taiwanese (others less than a percentage) • Majority are not born in the U.S.

17. Key Motivating Perspectives of Asian/Pacific Americans • Surviving: Immigrant or refugee (– 5 years) • Preserving: Immigrant or refugee (5 years +) • Adjusting: Second generation • Changing: Immigrant (majority of time in U.S.) • Choosing: Third generation or more • Maintaining: National (anticipates return to native country) • Expanding: National (global workplace)

18. Labels and Terms • “Oriental” is considered offensive • Asian/Pacific is government designation • Groups prefer specific designation • Use of slurs or racial epithets are unacceptable

19. Myths and Stereotypes 1. All alike due to similarities 2. Successful “model” or “super minority” 3. Viewed as “foreign” terrorists because of their religious affiliation or cultural dress 4. Misunderstanding cultural differences and practices

20. Asian/Pacific American Family • Very strong ties to extended family—three to four generations in same house • Culture shock leads to clannish behavior (e.g., Chinatowns, Koreatowns, etc.) • Father is the head of the household • Husband and wife both work outside of home

21. Children, Adolescents, and Youths • Children care for each other • Latchkey children are common • Often serve as translators • Direct communication to parent or adult

22. Asian/Pacific American Family Violence • Underestimated and under-reported • Why? • Tjaden and Thoennes (2000)—12.8 percent reported being physically assaulted and 3.8 percent reported rape • Abraham (2000) —Community-Agency survey found over 1,000 South Asian women sought help for abuse and family violence

23. Asian/Pacific American Family Violence • National Asian Women’s Health Organization (2002) found 16 percent of respondents reported pressure to have sex and 27 percent reported emotional abuse • 1996 Chicago study of 150 Korean immigrant women—60 percent reported being battered • 37 percent being battered once a month

24. Asian/Pacific American Verbal and Nonverbal Styles • Officers must take time to get information from witnesses, victims, and suspects • Strong family and group orientation • Considered “rude” and “loss of face” to say “no” to authority

25. APA Verbal and Nonverbal Styles • High context in communication style— Key context and background important • Eye contact, gestures, and other nuances • May not display emotions as expected

26. Key Issues in Law Enforcement • Underreporting of Crimes • Differential Treatment

27. Positive Collaborations with Law Enforcement • Asian/Pacific American communities gaining trust with criminal justice system • Community policing in local neighborhoods by Asian/Pacific American officers • Recruiting aggressively and increasing Asian/Pacific American peace officers

28. Increasing Police Services and Community Relationships • Getting positive cooperation from the community • Increasing the number of bilingual/bicultural peace officers • Building community relationships and networks

29. Crimes Within the Asian/Pacific American Communities • Perpetrated by others within the same group • Human trafficking highlighted as major problem • Cooperation with worldwide police agencies in six countries (Cambodia, China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam)