▁begun ▁to ▁transform ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁legit imate ▁frat ernal ▁organization ▁they ▁started ▁as ▁over ▁a ▁century ▁prior . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁T ongs , ▁it ▁was ▁founded ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁members ▁from ▁the ▁r amp ant ▁anti - Ch inese ▁pre jud ice ▁that ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁America ▁at ▁a ▁time , ▁and ▁provide ▁them ▁with ▁a ▁semi - leg it imate ▁community ▁structure ▁since ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁rely ▁on ▁police ▁or ▁court ▁systems ▁to ▁resolve ▁internal ▁community ▁disput es . ▁Also ▁like ▁many ▁other ▁T ongs , ▁it ▁eventually ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁vice ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁fund ▁its ▁operations . ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁arg u ably ▁most ▁famous ▁for ▁its ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁On ▁Le ong ▁T ong ▁in ▁Manh attan ' s ▁Ch in at own , ▁the ▁group ▁that ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁H ip ▁Sing ▁T ong ▁did ▁not ▁actually ▁origin ate ▁within ▁New ▁York ▁but ▁rather ▁on ▁the ▁West ▁Coast ▁within ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁It ▁moved ▁into ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 0 0 s , ▁and ▁soon ▁began ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁the ▁On ▁Le ong ▁T ong ▁for ▁local ▁control ▁under ▁the ▁guidance ▁of ▁its ▁then - le ader ▁S ai ▁Wing ▁Mock . ▁This ▁rival ry ▁would ▁eventually ▁er upt ▁into ▁dec ades ▁of ▁violence , ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁nation wide ▁conflict ▁between ▁T ongs ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁T ong ▁Wars . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁history ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁fifty ▁to ▁si xty ▁years , ▁efforts