Jackson Street Boys
Encyclopedia
Jackson Boyz or Jackson Boys are a San Francisco, California
based Asian
street gang
and Triad society. The gang is composed of Chinese and Vietnamese members, and is centered in San Francisco's Chinatown.
However, there are members of the gang in middle schools and high schools in addition to their Chinatown presence. The gang was involved in many criminal acts including the burning of a Chinese restaurant sparked by the owner's debt to the gang. Although the suspects were arrested, they were soon released.
The Jackson Boys are also connected with the Seven Stars gang.
The Jackson Boys gang is the successor to the Wo Hop To
Triad which ruled the streets of San Francisco Chinatown in the 80s and early 90s. The Jackson Street Boys was founded by three brothers; Bobby Tsan, Johnny Tsan and Tommy Tsan. The three brothers were former Wah Ching
members who defected to the Wo Hop To
. The Wah Ching gang of Southern California was originally based in San Francisco. After the Wo Hop To forced the Wah Ching to head south, the Jackson Street Boys would be able to gain a stronghold in the mid-90s and become the largest Asian criminal organization in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Unlike many other Asian street gangs which are composed primarily of American-born or Americanized Asians, the Jackson Boys has a mix of foreign-born and American-born members. The gang is unique in that though some members engage in low-level street crime like stealing cars or drug-dealing, other members also engage in sophisticated money-making schemes such as credit-card fraud, racketeering, illegal gambling, and other white-collar crime
s. Slowly, but surely, the gang has branched out of San Francisco Chinatown and spread out across all the Asian-dominated neighborhoods in San Francisco.
In the gang's history, there have also been instances of the gang branching out into other cities, such as nearby Oakland, and even as far as places like Seattle and Denver. These developments have been temporary, however, and their center of operations remains San Francisco.
A quick perusal of the San Francisco Chronicle’s archives will reveal some of the more famous crimes that Jackson Boys members have engaged in. One of the more noted crimes in 1995 involved two factions of the Jackson Street Boys. One faction opened fire on the other on a busy Chinatown street, Stockton Street, during the daytime. Several innocent bystanders were struck, including a pregnant woman. Jackson Boys were also the primary trafficker of illegal fireworks back when fireworks were blatantly sold on the streets of Chinatown.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
based Asian
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
street gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
and Triad society. The gang is composed of Chinese and Vietnamese members, and is centered in San Francisco's Chinatown.
However, there are members of the gang in middle schools and high schools in addition to their Chinatown presence. The gang was involved in many criminal acts including the burning of a Chinese restaurant sparked by the owner's debt to the gang. Although the suspects were arrested, they were soon released.
The Jackson Boys are also connected with the Seven Stars gang.
The Jackson Boys gang is the successor to the Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To is Triad group based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association" or "Harmonious Union Plan" and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret political organization in opposition to the Qing Dynasty...
Triad which ruled the streets of San Francisco Chinatown in the 80s and early 90s. The Jackson Street Boys was founded by three brothers; Bobby Tsan, Johnny Tsan and Tommy Tsan. The three brothers were former Wah Ching
Wah Ching
Wah Ching is a Chinese American Triad Society and street gang also known as "Dub C" originating in San Francisco during the early 1960s. At the time, Wah Ching was organized into one enormous gang...
members who defected to the Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To
Wo Hop To is Triad group based in Wanchai, Hong Kong. The name translates to "Harmoniously United Association" or "Harmonious Union Plan" and is thought to have been founded in 1908 in Sai Ying Pun as a secret political organization in opposition to the Qing Dynasty...
. The Wah Ching gang of Southern California was originally based in San Francisco. After the Wo Hop To forced the Wah Ching to head south, the Jackson Street Boys would be able to gain a stronghold in the mid-90s and become the largest Asian criminal organization in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Unlike many other Asian street gangs which are composed primarily of American-born or Americanized Asians, the Jackson Boys has a mix of foreign-born and American-born members. The gang is unique in that though some members engage in low-level street crime like stealing cars or drug-dealing, other members also engage in sophisticated money-making schemes such as credit-card fraud, racketeering, illegal gambling, and other white-collar crime
White-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
s. Slowly, but surely, the gang has branched out of San Francisco Chinatown and spread out across all the Asian-dominated neighborhoods in San Francisco.
In the gang's history, there have also been instances of the gang branching out into other cities, such as nearby Oakland, and even as far as places like Seattle and Denver. These developments have been temporary, however, and their center of operations remains San Francisco.
A quick perusal of the San Francisco Chronicle’s archives will reveal some of the more famous crimes that Jackson Boys members have engaged in. One of the more noted crimes in 1995 involved two factions of the Jackson Street Boys. One faction opened fire on the other on a busy Chinatown street, Stockton Street, during the daytime. Several innocent bystanders were struck, including a pregnant woman. Jackson Boys were also the primary trafficker of illegal fireworks back when fireworks were blatantly sold on the streets of Chinatown.