This article provides an analysis of Asian American gang violence within the context of racialization and the legacy of imperialism. The analysis is grounded in a specific study of the Van Nuys (CA) Asian Boys gang and the particularities of Asian American gang violence in Southern California during the 1990s. Drawing from historical writings on genocide in Vietnam and the United States, Lam argues that Asian American youth violence is a form of genocide -- rooted in the racialization of mostly working-class, immigrant and refugee youth. Youth violence as genocide provides a broader and more comprehensive analysis surrounding premature death. This article concludes with a discussion of the pedagogical significance and implications for the study.