Asian American Youth Violence as Genocide: A Critical Appraisal and its Pedagogical Significance

ABSTRACT

This article provides an analysis of Asian American gang violence within the context of racialization and the legacy of imperialism. The analysis is grounded in a specific study of the Van Nuys (CA) Asian Boys gang and the particularities of Asian American gang violence in Southern California during the 1990s. Drawing from historical writings on genocide in Vietnam and the United States, Lam argues that Asian American youth violence is a form of genocide – rooted in the racialization of mostly working-class, immigrant and refugee youth. Youth violence as genocide provides a broader and more comprehensive analysis surrounding premature death. This article concludes with a discussion of the pedagogical significance and implications for the study.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Kevin D. Lam

Kevin D. Lam is Associate Professor of Urban & Diversity Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Drake University. He was born in Vietnam and raised in Los Angeles-Chinatown. His research and teaching interests include Vietnamese/Asian American youth violence, critical theory of racism, critical pedagogy, cultural studies, urban education, US imperialism, and political economy. Lam is the author of Youth Gangs, Racism, and Schooling: Vietnamese American Youth in a Postcolonial Context.