Tong (organization)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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In the United States, a tong is the term used for a type of secret society found among Chinese American immigrants. (In the nineteenth century, when the tongs originated, few Chinese workers wished to emigrate to the USA. Although many stayed, most came with hopes of return to China.) Although tongs were originally created for mutual support and protection, especially from other local ethnic groups hostile to the rapid Chinese immigration, their activities often flouted the law or became outright criminal. Tongs are descended from the Tiandihui, a secret society established to overthrow the Qing dynasty in China in the 18th century, and are similar to other groups worldwide that were also descended from the Tiandihui, known as hui, hongmen, triads, and tongs as well.
See also
- Hui
- Tong Wars
- Triad (organized crime)
- Tiandihui
- List of Chinese criminal organizations
- List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates