In Reply to: I don't think that's inconsistent with what I've posted posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on March 13, 2024 at 19:57:42
that the Chinese enclave existed outside the norms. I read about the Five Points of New York being an Irish slum which was so lawless that the police didn't even bother to go. The setting of the film was in the 1930's, which led me to believe Chinatown used to have that reputation much like ghettos and slums.
As a side note, when I was new to the country, adults were discussing crimes committed against Koreans at a gathering. One guy commented that they (meaning criminals) tended to leave the Chinese alone because merchants in Chinatown took the law into their hands and that we (Koreans) needed to do the same. The movie quote reminded me of that remark.