Menace of Destruction

Menace of Destruction (MOD), formerly known as Masters of Destruction, is a Hmong street gang created in 1988. Today, it is active in California, Midwestern United States and many places with large Hmong communities. It is known for murders, fights, shootings, and weapon and drug trafficking (mostly marijuana and methamphetamine).

MOD is one of the oldest active Asian street gang in Northern California and perhaps the largest Hmong gang in America. MOD is known as one of the most violent and notorious Asian gangs, it is the only Hmong gang that is officially recognized by the United States Government. MOD has its largest presence in California with members residing in the cities, Sacramento, Merced, Stockton and Fresno.

By the end of the Vietnam War in the mid-1970s, new waves of refugees began settling in the United States. Among them were the Hmong; an indigenous people of Eastern China and Southeast Asia, who settled in American ghettoes, where they faced prejudice, bullying and racism. Hmong families were constantly robbed and physically assaulted. To counter such actions, Hmong youth banded together as a brotherhood, which eventually engaged in violence and criminal activities.

In 1988, a handful of Hmong youth broke off from one of the first Hmong gangs in California known as "Peace MOD", originally formed in 1985 in Fresno, California to combat other gangs preying upon the Hmong community. The splinter group formed the "Masters of Destruction" (MOD). Though the reason behind the breakup is unclear, it is suggested that a power struggle between members caused "Peace MOD" to break into three gangs, including the "Masters of Destruction", the "Mongolian Boys Society" (MBS) and the "Oriental Ruthless Boys" (ORB). The breakup of "Peace MOD" created rivalries between all three of them.

In 1991, MOD's name was changed to "Menace of Destruction" by the younger generation to better align with their youth. Its members were as young as 12 years old.

Fearing for their children's lives, Hmong parents either moved or sent their teenagers off to live with relatives in other towns or out of state. However, the relocation of gang members caused the gang to grow rapidly as members created their own cliques in their new settings to rival other local gangs. In Portland, Oregon, due to a small Hmong community, Vietnamese migrants were recruited to rival biker gangs and other street gangs. In the Midwest, one of Minnesota's first Hmong gang known as the White Tigers was eventually overtaken by MOD's presence in the Twin Cities.

MOD flexed its muscle through intimidation, fights and murders. Rival gang members would often become targets of ambush assaults in public areas or at popular Hmong cultural events such as the Hmong New Year celebrations and sports tournaments within the Hmong communities across America.

MOD is one of the oldest active Hmong gang in America^{[citation needed]} and is one of the oldest active Asian street gang in Northern California. Many splinter groups have formed out of MOD that eventually became defunct or still exist as rival gangs. However, as with many gangs today, there is a dwindling membership within MOD as gang culture slowly fades out of appeal with urban Hmong youth due to growing prosperity from increased economic resources and opportunities in the Hmong communities. In addition, Hmong youth today have assimilated very well into American society by following the examples set by their parents who toiled through the migrant era for a better future for their families.