ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the low crime rate for overseas Chinese migrants to Southeast Asia may partly be due to their embrace of the cultural values contained in Confucianism. Both Confucianism and Control theory seek to socialize asocial human beings. Control focuses not only on the external controls exerted by family, schools, peer groups, educational institutions and occupations which seek to inhibit delinquent and criminal behavior, but the internal self-control of restraint as well. The chapter explores the similarity of Confucianism to Control theory and how ancient China's social structure, which was based upon Confucianism, acted to restrain criminal behavior. When Chinatowns were gradually transformed into cultural and tourist resorts, they at first remained isolated, ordered and self-content until new Chinese immigration restrictions were lifted and approved by the residing countries. Traditional Chinatown organizations thus lacked control over many of the new arrivals who were plagued with various assimilation problems.
