CAPITAL RESOURCES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 trust	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust I	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust I	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust II	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust II	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Statutory Trust III	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Statutory Trust III	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust IV	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust IV	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust V	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust V	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VI	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VI	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VII	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VII	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VIII	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust VIII	Dec. 31, 2011 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust IX	Dec. 31, 2010 Junior Subordinated Debt East West Capital Trust IX	Dec. 31, 2011 Subordinated Debt	Dec. 31, 2005 Subordinated Debt
CAPITAL RESOURCES
Number of statutory business trusts formed for the purpose of issuing junior subordinated debt to third party investors	7
Related statutory business trusts dissolved after repayment of related debt	2
Common stock issued by the Trust of the Company	$ 4,200,000	$ 4,800,000
Minimum total consolidated assets for exclusion of trust preferred securities as Tier I regulatory capital	15,000,000,000		15,000,000,000
Capital Resources
Junior subordinated debt securities called by the Company				21,400,000
Associated early repayment penalty				526,000
Stated Interest Rate (as a percent)					10.88%		10.95%
Stated Interest Rate, base									3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor		3-month Libor
Stated Interest Rate, basis spread (as a percent)									2.85%		2.55%		1.80%		1.50%		1.35%		1.40%		1.90%		1.10%
Interest rate as of reporting date (as a percent)									3.41%		2.97%		2.10%		2.05%		1.90%		1.93%		2.45%		1.54%
Balance at the end of the period	133,000,000	155,750,000				10,750,000		10,000,000	10,000,000	10,000,000	10,000,000	10,000,000	15,000,000	15,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	30,000,000	30,000,000	18,000,000	20,000,000	30,000,000	30,000,000
Issue of debt																								$ 75,000,000