In the chapter, Sante (1991) believed gangs emerged in rapidly growing cities out of the conditions created by multiple waves of immigration and urban overcrowding (1). The book suggest that street gangs emerged from conditions of social disorganization, overwhelming housing, and welfare capacities of the Northwest (2). Government corruptions such as that of the Civil war clause gave rise to gang riots resulting in the deaths of over 15 black men and the disappearance of over 50 more (4). Other explanations given were: marginalization, youth conflict, and defiance (6). Still the book offers more examples like that of racial unity and empowerment, as well as gangs provided lower income tenants protection and financial resources they otherwise
Mona Ruiz was raised in the middle class neighborhoods of central Santa Ana in a household of two parents, and seven siblings. Although Ruiz had family members affiliated with gangs, her father despised gang members. Both of them would have talks about how proud he’d be if she furthered her education and became a police officer. He had said to her and her sisters, “gangs promise only shame and danger for a young girl.” (Ruiz 27).
In the newspaper paper article, “No Sanctuary in Chicago’s street Gang wars,” Kass (2017) focuses on a recent murder in Chicago. Kass states that Chicago is a place of death do to the ongoing gang wars that Chicago is experiencing. Kass (2017) further points out Chicago gang crime is an “intergenerational problem, of grandfathers and fathers and sons and mothers and daughters wearing their gang colors.” Kass’ statement about in gang crime being an intergenerational problem is consistent with prior gang research. Intergenerational gangs is not a new phenomenon.
Andrew Diamond examines several Chicago gangs and multiple other movements in Chicago during the end of the 1950s through the 1960s. Diamond follows Dr. Martian Luther King Junior’s ambition to desegregate Chicago, the most segregated city in the United States. King focused his attention first to the West Side’s most notorious black street gangs. This source shows how racial solidarity within the city and youth gangs became a vital source of inspiration for the civil rights movement that was developing during this period. This article suits those who are studying the impact that gangs have on urban community, influences and inspiration for black West Side Chicagoans, historians, and other academic professionals.
Bridge 1 Gangsters Without Borders by T.W. Ward is an ethnography about the El Salvadorian gang Mara Salvatrucha. Ward chose to focus the majority of his research on the male members in order to earn their trust. With that in mind, I am presuming that the views of women portrayed in this ethnography are fundamentally the thoughts of its male members. Nonetheless, early on in my reading on this ethnography, I identified the role gender plays not only for the ethnographer but also for the gang members. The gender roles for these gang members mimic those of most societies, although some of the roles appear contradictory.
How well Wes Moore describes the culture of the streets, and particularly disenfranchised adolescents that resort to violence, is extraordinary considering the unbiased perspective Moore gives. Amid Moore’s book one primary theme is street culture. Particularly Moore describes the street culture in two cities, which are Baltimore and the Bronx. In Baltimore city the climate and atmosphere, of high dropout rates, high unemployment and poor public infrastructure creates a perfect trifecta for gang violence to occur. Due to what was stated above, lower income adolescent residents in Baltimore are forced to resort to crime and drugs as a scapegoat of their missed opportunities.
In the film Crips and Bloods Made In America by Stacy Peralta, the history of the two south L.A. gangs is discussed in depth. The current disadvantages these modern gangs are faced with can be traced back to the oppressive and segregative history of America towards people of color. In the 60’s the black community was extremely strong and had a plethora of leaders who united and led their fight against inequality. Even in the face of white flight and segregation (Schneider, Escape From L.A.) the community had thriving social programs, cultural hubs, and vocational opportunities that was beneficial to its members (Film: Crips and Bloods).
“The Gangs of New York Assignment” “The Gangs of New York” interpreted many aspects of the Gilded Age including politics, immigration, and racism. When the immigrants, which were mostly Irish, came to New York they were treated very poorly. When arriving to America the immigrants were shouted at to go back home and had items thrown at that them when departing the boats that they arrived on. When the Irish came to America a countless amount of them had an illness, this then led to New York being called a “City of fever.” If you had an illness as an immigrant you were put back onto a ship and you were sailed back to where you had came from.
Always Running vs. Changing Chicano Gangs In the novel “Always Running La Vida Loca Gang Days in LA” by Luis J Rodriguez. The noval talks about how Rodriguez joined a gang in an early age and eventually was sent to prison and begins to think about his life and how he needed to turn it around while writing a letter to his son. The purpose of this novel was to send a message to his son on what it 's like as a gang member and where it 'll take you. In the journal article “Changing Chicano Gangs: Acculturation, Generational chance, evolution of Deviance or Emerging Underclass by Joan Moore.
Sonia Bola Professor Gutierrez CRJ 112 28 November 2016 Shakur Essay Assignment The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member (1993) describes the life of the author, Sanyika Shakur, also known as "Monster" Kody Scott, as a South Central, Los Angeles gang member of the Crip organization. During the book, the author exhibits his time as a formidable, combat soldier who earned a legendary gangster title for his committed acts of brutality and violence in the course of his Crip membership (Shakur, 1993). In addition, the novel gradually reveals how the author transformed from a Crip associate to a black nationalist and crusader for the new African independence movement, who fights against the causes of a gangster lifestyle (Shakur, 1993).
I believe that America 's biker gangs should either become less violent, or they should be stopped altogether. I prefer the first option because they are still given the freedom to be in a biker gang, and no one gets hurt. For some, biker gangs are seen as a symbol of security and family. We should not have to take someone away from their sense of family, as long as they are not being violent. I believe that the best thing that we could do to reduce the violence, is to get law enforcements involved.
Victor M. Rios was born in Mexico. When he was two years old he immigrated with his mother to Oakland, California. He went through a tough childhood and he and his mother moved several times throughout poor neighborhoods such as West Oakland, The Fruitvale District, and Elmhurst. As a result of growing up in this kind of environments he was forced to be part of Latino East Oakland gangs. Stealing cars, selling drugs, getting into street fights and having problems with police was all he would do until he was 15 years old.
In some cases, violence may occur when the gang must shield itself from the threats of others (Padilla 1996: 13). This example supports Padilla’s thesis because these youngsters are unable to connect with other peers and other gangs, so they turn to their gang to defend what is rightfully their
After a brief decline, gang activity has begun to increase in the United States. This activity has become prevalent in all four major regions of the United States (Howell, 2012). Gangs have continued their
During his time studying these boys, he found that most cases of conflict were resolved without the use of weapon(s), but rather with “harsh conversation”. This observation highly contradicts the typical view of gang members who are commonly stereotyped by their local community and justice system in Oakland. Rios describes how the boys “Conversations often involved references to guns as analogies for resolving conflict and demonstrating manhood”. The fact that most conflicts are dealt with in non-violent ways, highlights the negative role
A road gang truck breaks down - A group of "bad men" are coming along the road near where the man and his son camped for the night. The road gang 's truck breaks down, and the man grabs his son and they run through the woods and try to hide so as not to be discovered. One of the bad men comes across them and grabs the boy, holding a knife to him. The boys father shoots the bad man, killing him. This lead to the boy having trauma from the event, to the point of not being able to speak, and wondering if they are still the good guys