The Yen Boys are descended from a handful of Chinese-American youths, varying in age from nine to seventeen. They were tired of harassment from their teachers and peers at school and on the street, and frustrated with their parents kissing the government's boot. They would agree on a basic code and always stick in groups, the numbers often able to turn the tide. This new self-assertion would lead to several confrontations with the police, however, and several members would do time.