Youth Gangs, Racism, and Schooling Vietnamese American Youth in a Postcolonial Context

Youth Gangs, Racism, and Schooling examines Vietnamese American youth gang formation in Southern California, with an emphasis on the experiences of those heavily involved in the 1990s. Lam traces the genealogy of the Vietnamese American youth gang phenomenon as part of the conflict in Southeast Asia. He describes the consequences of war and migration for youth as well as their racialization as "Asian American" subjects. Grounded in the critical narratives of three gang members, Lam addresses themes of racism, violence, class struggle, style, and schooling in an era of anti-youth legislation in the state and nationally. In this dehumanizing context, Lam frames Vietnamese and Southeast Asian American gang members as postcolonial subjects, offering an alternative analysis toward humanization and decolonization.

Kevin D. Lam is Assistant Professor of Urban and Diversity Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Drake University, USA

1. Vietnamese and US Empire
2. Critical Theories of Racism and Asian American Identities: A Materialist Critique
3. "Theater of the Oppressed": Vietnamese and Asian American Youth Violence
4. "No One is Looking Into Our Shit!": Vietnamese American Youth Gang Narratives
5.Analysis and Synthesis
6.Toward a Pedagogy of the Dispossessed