Tiny Rascal Gang

Tiny Rascal Gang

Founded	1981[1]
Founding location	Eastside, Long Beach, California, United States[1]
Years active	1981–present
Territory	United States (especially California, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington state), lesser presence in Canada and other countries[2]
Ethnicity	Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino[3] Hmong, Chinese[4]
Membership (est.)	5,000–10,000[5]
Activities	Drug trafficking, assault, murder, extortion, robbery and theft[6]
Allies	14K[7] Wah Ching[8] Wo Hop To[7]
Rivals	Asian Boyz[9] Bloods[10] Crips[11] East Side Longo 13[12] Latin Kings[13] Sureños[14][15]

The Tiny Rascal Gang, also known as TRG, Tiny Raskal Gang or Rascals for short, is an Asian American (mainly ethnically Cambodian) gang based in Long Beach, California. The gang was founded by Cambodian refugees in 1981 as part of their cause to protect themselves from the larger, more numerous gangs in their neighborhoods. Initially, a mere cause which connected numerous youth crews and gangs across Long Beach, Santa Ana and shortly after nearby cities, they are now an established network and identity of individual "sets" or local gangs. Its members identify gray as their gang's color of distinction, a custom and practice that has waned somewhat in accordance to the police crackdowns specifically targeting gang members, but members have been seen to dress in all black with a gray rag representing their set.

The Tiny Rascals are considered to be the largest Asian street gang in the US.^[16] Although Cambodians comprise the majority of their members and are the foundation of the gang itself, most Cambodian are known to be multi-ethnic, or of mixed heritage. A large portion of whom are of mixed Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean or Austronesian ancestry, whilst in some gang sets a large portion of its membership may identify with other Asian ancestry, or of any race.^[17]

History[]

The United States began admitting its first Cambodian refugees in 1979, and until 1991, nearly 158,000 Cambodians were admitted; most of whom were resettled in the states of California, Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York. As with many refugee groups, lack of knowledge concerning the culture and society of the host nation in addition to their limited command of the English language resulted in a socio-cultural barrier. Upon suffering from various issues individually or in smaller scale, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, their socio-economic disadvantage and environmental setbacks contributed to their adversity in North America. Cambodian-American communities were largely underprivileged and deeply affected by poverty, among other things.

In the mid-1980s, a fight occurred between a Latino student and a Cambodian student in Long Beach, an event which led to the formation of the Tiny Rascals.^[18] As a means of protection, other Cambodian youths began to form street gangs which later laid the foundation of TRG. While conforming to their various cultural influences and Western society, many Cambodian youths began to understand their positions in society, most of whom had instead recognized their disadvantage, resulting in their gang epidemic in the 1990s. Original gang hand-signs, graffiti, fashion, and other practices were originated and constantly changing in the 1980s and 90s. Shortly after their collectivization, TRG began committing several crimes which included extortion, murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, home invasion, drugs and weapons trafficking.^[19] Some of the Tiny Rascal members were originally members of the Asian Boyz, a rival gang, and transferred gangs due to friction between other fellow Tiny Rascal members.

Throughout the early 90s, The Tiny Rascals had a violent rivalry with the Long Beach-based East Side Longos MUIE who were predominantly Hispanic.^[20]

Two more recent rivalries which have been relevant over the past decade are with Insane Boyz and Rascals in Seattle,^[21][22][23] and Latin Kings in Holland, Michigan.^[13][12]

Membership[]

Originally a Cambodian street gang, members of other ethnic and cultural groups are known to have been recruited.^[20] There are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 members nationwide, based primarily on the West Coast, the Southwest and New England.^[6] In the 1990s, females were allowed to represent the gang and an all-female branch was formed as "LRG (Lady Rascal Gang)".^{[citation needed]} This faction or identity was later disbanded.

As with many other gangs, potential members must first be initiated in a "jump in" where they would have to fight other members of the gang or endure a beating for a specific amount of time.^[19] Newer recruits are allegedly required to commit a notable crime as a means to earn respect, whether it be murder, home invasion, drive-by shootings on rival gangs or enemies, or robbery. Respect and credibility within the gang revolved around a number of crimes individuals would commit either on behalf of or in favor of the gang. Their gang colors are grey and black. In contrast to their rivals, the Asian Boyz, their gangs are more ethnically exclusive and distinct, as most of their Cambodian members are known to be Khmer.

There is presence of TRG members/sets within the US army as well. However, none can be found in the airforce or navy.^[24] There are also some TRG sets found within various prisons in the USA including South Carolina.^[25] It is important to note that because of the low percentage of Asian Americans in some prisons, all Asian gang members clique up to represent an Asian set regardless of their hood's historical rivalries with each other.

Activities[]

The Tiny Rascals are involved in a wide range of criminal activities which include extortion, robbery, burglary, auto theft, gang protection, and murder, which are some of the more publicized criminal activities. While young members of the gang are mostly involved in street crimes, some members have progressed towards serious organized criminal activities larger in scale. The older sets maintain a working relationship with similar sets of a fellow Southeast Asian gang called Asian Boyz. They have formed alliances with Chinese organizations such as the 14K, Wah Ching and Wo Hop To in California, and the New York City-based Ghost Shadows.^[7][26]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several Rascals violently retaliated to the ongoing harassment of East Side Longos within California, especially Long Beach, and in the Seattle, Washington area. This sparked a deadly war of which resulted in over a hundred casualties suffered among both gangs.

California[]

During 1994, seven TRG members broke into a house in Tustin resulting in the victim being killed, while her baby was home. In 2016 some Tiny Rascal members also murdered a member of a graffiti crew in Tustin.^[27]

In August 1995, five TRG members aging between 16 and 23 invaded the house of a family in San Bernardino and shot five of them to death in a robbery. The victims were ages 10 to 44. The five perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment.^[28]

The Californian gang identifier laws have had an impact on Tiny Rascal Gang members as well. Basically, if police can identify you as a gang member you can be arrested. This was seen in Sacramento when a member of a set was arrested after police found out he was in the gang, later he would be charged with more. Sacramento also houses at least 100 members and drug dealing appears to be its main source of income.^[29] In 2006 one of the Sacramento sets killed a police officer, the member was 16 when he did it.^[30]

The gang rivalry between Asian Boyz and Tiny Rascal Gang has taken many innocent lives, two examples of this include the accidental shooting of a pregnant woman called Nath Ouch in 2006 in Fresno^[31] and another in 2019 (arresting seven TRG members) in a mass shooting at a pre-Halloween party in Long Beach^[32]

Massachusetts[]

The gang also has a presence among the Cambodian-American community in Lowell, Massachusetts. According to police there, several hundred TRG members lived in the Lowell and Lynn area in the older days and still are definitely around causing havoc. The gang was connected to over hundreds of homicides and over 5,000 assaults throughout Lowell and Lynn within 1998 and 2021.^[33]

Pennsylvania[]

The Tiny Rascal gang is among the largest Asian gangs in Philadelphia.^[3] There are two major TRG factions in the city.^[34]

Virginia[]

The Tiny Rascal Gang in Virginia have been connected to many crimes including property crimes, extortion, robberies, drug distribution, stabbings, assaults, shootings, and murder. Virginia, primarily in the Northern Virginia area adjacent to Washington, D.C., is home to approximately 5,000 to 8,000 Cambodians, many of whom live in Arlington, Fairfax County, Falls Church, and Richmond. There is also a community in Silver Spring, Maryland.^[35] Virginia now has what it says are the toughest gang laws in the nation, partly because of the violent actions of gangs such as the TRG.^[36]

In summer 1994, five TRG members in Virginia were found guilty of assaulting and stabbing a youth.^[35]

In April 1996, a TRG member fatally shot a rival gang member between the eyes and left him for dead in a South Arlington apartment complex parking lot Virginia. According to prosecutor Theo Stamos, "This was a show of muscle, of bravado. The defendant was playing to his gallery."^[37]

In February 1998, a drive-by shooting occurred near George C. Marshall High School, in which a 17-year-old boy was killed while sitting in the driver's seat, and another teenage male in the car was not wounded. Neither victims were gang members. The person killed had reportedly gotten into a fistfight with his killer's brother the night prior. The gunman, who fired a .22 rifle, an 18-year-old TRG member and a student at a different local school, was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 1998. Two others TRG members, including a driver, were found guilty of felony assault for their roles in the attack, and received sentences of 17 years and 4 years.^[38][39]

In February 2009, six members of TRG in the Richmond area shot up a rival gang member's house. They all faced attempted murder charges, in addition to other felonies associated with shooting up a dwelling. Key members of the Tiny Rascals Gang pleaded guilty to multiple gang participation and recruitment charges as well as robbery and firearms violations.^[40]

Sentencing in all aforementioned cases ranged from 5 to 25 years incarceration, deportation, and life imprisonment.

Alaska[]

There is the presence of TRG throughout Anchorage, however, the nature of TRG is never consistent, that is it tends to come and go.^[41] There has been numerous members who have pled guilty to firearm and drug-related charges which have made a cumulative total of 60 years in prison. This includes 75 firearms and more than $250,000 of money and assets.^[42]

North Carolina[]

In 2004 there was a slew of car thefts throughout North Carolina, particularly in Forest Oaks and Pleasant Garden. The culprits were seven members of TRG with two of them being juveniles. It is also believed a TRG member was involved in a shooting that same year^[43] Within Greensboro itself, TRG is considered to be one of the largest gangs present, with other sets found in Lexington and Spartanburg. Despite the members mentioned in the thefts not having Asian ancestry TRG members in Greensboro are meant to be predominantly Vietnamese which was examined after gang-shooting in 2005. Many of the Vietnamese gangs in Greensboro tend to align with ethnic minorities (such as Montagnards of Vietnam), thus creating ethnic rivalry.^[44]

Rhode Island[]

In Providence, the rivalry between the Surenos and TRG caused the closure of Club Bebeto as it became a disputed hangout.^[45] There were reports of underage drinking by TRG members who had connections with the staff.^[46]

Tennessee[]

In Nashville there was an arrest of a TRG member who was working with a MS-13 member in the distribution of Black Tar Heroin. The TRG member was distributing heroin at 2 to 3 grams of heroin per customer. The TRG member was released on a bond.^[47]

Ohio[]

Within Columbus there was a shooting on Christmas day 2015 from a Tiny Rascal Gang member. The member appeared caucasian yet the victim has an Asian name, so it is unclear the racial make-up of the Columbus sets. It is also unclear if the murder was gang-related.^[48]

Utah[]

Tiny Rascal Gang has a presence within Salt Lake City with their main rivals being other Asian gangs such as Oriental Laotian Gang, Asian Deuce and Laos Boy Crips. They are also allies with Tiny Oriental Posse and Viet Family.^[49] Asian gangs in the area are considered to be very nomadic and not turf oriented.^[50]

Oregon[]

After the Vietnam War there was a large presence of South-East Asian migrants in the Portland area. Whilst TRG doesn't have a major presence, they are relevant to the city. The main criminal activity of TRG members in the area is to host TRG fugitives and those needing to go in hiding from cities as far as Boston, Lawrence{ and Lowell.^[51]

Texas[]

Amongst at least 500 gangs in the Fort Worth and Dallas Asian and Hispanic gangs remain the main ethnic gangs. When looking at the Asian gangs, Tiny Rascal Gang and Asian Boyz remain the main national gangs. These gangs are known to do a lot of illegal activity, such as drug distribution, not in their home turf (in metropolitan Dallas/Fort-Worth) but in suburban areas which are located at interstate points or major highways in the Dallas County and Tarrant County. Once they have run out of drug supplies they will return home to stock up. The product of this is that there are now some sets within the suburban areas.^[52]

Michigan[]

TRG can be found in Holland and are currently having a dispute with Latin Kings. This led to an attempted murder of a Filipino TRG member in 2016.^[53] There is also a sub-set of TRG called TRG Jnrs.^[54] Much like many Mid-Western gangs, the Tiny Rascal Gang has alliances with the Folk Nation.^[55] Possibly explaining the turf war between Latin Kings.

Media depiction[]

Two documentaries, Rascal Love and Cambodian Son, have been about Tiny Rascal members. Gangland has also dedicated an episode to Tiny Rascal Gang sets in Fresno.

See also[]

• Deportation of Cambodians from the United States

References[]

External links[]

• The-dispatch.com
• Ocregister.com
• Rascal Love Documentary
• Cambodian Son Documentary
• Gangland: California's Killing Fields Documentary