La Nuestra Familia Essay

Though Nuestra Familia originated in Northern California in the 1960s, the family has been steadfast in expanding, covering more ground and developing across the country. One area in which La Nuestra Familia is found to be very active is the Colorado prison system. Regarding this, Robert Koehler writes following the incarceration and release of a few members of La Nuestra Familia in California, they migrated to Colorado where they were later incarcerated again, as many convicts are (Koehler 168). As a result, “as the Colorado Chicano prison population grew into a larger percentage of the overall Colorado state prison population, La Nuestra Familia emerged. The precepts of La Nuestra Familia had been kept alive by a few old cons who assisted in shaping the reemerged La Nuestra Familia of the Colorado prison system” (Koehler

The members of this gang are entirely of Mexican-American decent, and it is practically male dominated, with few female members passing along vital information to other members and smuggling contraband into the gang’s prisoners. By operating on a hierarchical system, gang members are aware of who is in charge and where other members rank in the community, much like the United States military layout. The social relations throughout the group and members’ interaction with the public and those outside of the gang is vital in ensuring the group is able to function smoothly, without drawing too much unwanted attention. Despite the obvious challenges that gang members face, La Nuestra Familia has expanded and pushed the boundaries of the prison community as a whole. Without establishing their own social and cultural norms, La Nuestra Familia would not have been so successful at recruiting and maintaining membership in what they may consider to be their very own, exclusive