UL Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Gangs, Poverty and the Future

Thesis:

            Second generation Mexicans and African Americans joining gangs, living in poverty and influencing the younger generation for a negative future.

Summary:

            This chapter briefly explains the lifestyles of  gang members in Los Angeles. Not only Mexican immigrants, but African Americans also. These people usually live in poverty and in overcrowded homes where there’s always a female that is the head of the household. It all starts with people finding work in the worst neighborhoods and settling into them because of the lack of transportation. The influence of gangs starting and continuing is on the younger generation. Children usually seek for attention on the streets that they can’t get at home.

            Not only is it a way of being in the crowd, but as a means of always being protected or someone always being protected or someone always having your back. Older gang members usually test the younger or new members to see if their brave or frightened.

            There’s also a huge drop out and unemployment rate. Stated in the book on page 240 about the defacto racial segregation resulted that African American males from South Central Los Angeles are three times more likely to end up in prison than at a university.

Personal Refection:

            Gangs are pointless and create more problems with violence. They make Hispanics seem dangerous, menaces to society and as if we’re all garbage all over the United States not only in Los Angeles. The problem with Hispanics is that they live for the moment and don’t realize the influence they have on their children.

            There are many backgrounds in the Hispanic culture, but in general how are we supposed to grow and be seen as something more? Growing up I feared gang members in the bloods or crips because they would either attack, rob or bother you for no reason at all. They would always travel in groups or in huge crowds of people I even remember a year on Halloween that people, women especially to stay indoors because they would go around slicing people’s faces. It’s sickening just thinking about it.