How Mexican American Gangs started in Los Angeles

[ChiRock773]

Yea man no doubt. I agree 100%. Knowledge and school are the most powerful tools anyone can own. In my little town just north of Atlanta we have a small population of Hispanics and along with that gangs. I grew up around that. But we all make choices and I chose not to fall into that life style. That crap wasn't for me instead I went to college to better my self and show the "other" people trying hold me down that I could be above it all.
All im saying is its thought growing up in a all white area. And facing the. adversities

Yea I grew up with a gang but deep down inside I knew I wanted to take a more positive direction and did....I went through some much bull**** I would never want my kids going through the same ****....No matter where you grow up you have a choice...I know peer pressure is a motherphucker but you gotta take care of #1 first....

I hate this argument from people. Yes things have changed, yes things have gotten much better and I'm the first one to tell people to work hard and educate yourself.

That doesn't mean everything is equal or just. Ignoring the issues and chalking it up to "you can achieve anything you want if you try hard enough" is not looking at things from a realistic and overall point of view.

It's like when people say "There's a black man as president now so black people can stop complaining" .......if it was only so simple.

I know exactly what you mean...what I meant was that it's not the same as it was back then in the early 1900's even as late as the 50's and 60's...alot has changed for the better...but still, today the average white man has it way better than the average mexican, latino or black...our ladders have alot more steps to them and we gotta work harder than white people to make it....

our schools are still phucked up but like I said...putting in the extra work, you will have the ability to make it in this world...

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

Yea I grew up with a gang but deep down inside I knew I wanted to take a more positive direction and did....I went through some much bull**** I would never want my kids going through the same ****....No matter where you grow up you have a choice...I know peer pressure is a motherphucker but you gotta take care of #1 first....




I know exactly what you mean...what I meant was that it's not the same as it was back then in the early 1900's even as late as the 50's and 60's...alot has changed for the better...but still, today the average white man has it way better than the average mexican, latino or black...our ladders have alot more steps to them and we gotta work harder than white people to make it....

our schools are still phucked up but like I said...putting in the extra work, you will have the ability to make it in this world...

What you say is true because I never got seriously involved with gangs and I grew up in the heart of gang life in LA. I decided that because of who I am and what I look like isn't going to determine my level of education or where I go in life.

I started to travel, moved away and met so many different people and cultures and I loved it.

I am who I am but I don't let it completely define me. At the same time there's lot's of kids who can't get away from it, who have no choice because they don't have the smarts maybe to understand where their life will end up.

Education is the key, just read some of the posts in this place from some of the people here and you will see we need lots of education.

[Left Hook Tua]

every gang starts out that way.

it's true for the irish and italian gangs at the turn of the century. even jewish gangs.

true for the older mexican , black , chinese and filipino gangs.

and it's true for the more recent el salvadorian , cambodian and other ethnic gangs.


gangs always seem to start from some new immigrant kids trying to protect themselves from the already established knucklehead kids.


the thing is though......most of the white and older asian immigrant groups have moved away from it.

there are no more irish , jewish or italian gangs. the older asian groups who have been here the longest , the japanese and filipinos have grown out of it for the most part.

chinese gangs only are still around because there are still some newcomer chinese immigrating to the u.s. and because they recruit non-chinese asians like vietnamese and cambodians.


as immigrant groups become more established , the gang involvement in those groups usually lessen.

not so with latinos and blacks.

and that's for sure an economic thing.

[CubanGuyNYC]

c'mon man....its 2012...nothing is stopping anyone from becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, pilot....what ever it is you wanna be...there has alreay been a mexican astronaut...you got a puerto rican serving in the supreme court...the mayor of L.A and San Antonio are mexican....you got singers, movie stars, athletes that are latinos....

mexicans have gone through the same **** as the puerto ricans, italians, jews, .....but that was then this is now....people are in gangs now because they want to, not because they don't have a choice...trust me growing up on the south side of chicago is no joke...it's worse than east l.a.....but it doesn't mean you have to make a career out of gang banging...lol

free your mind....


knowledge is power.

What you say is true because I never got seriously involved with gangs and I grew up in the heart of gang life in LA. I decided that because of who I am and what I look like isn't going to determine my level of education or where I go in life.

I started to travel, moved away and met so many different people and cultures and I loved it.

I am who I am but I don't let it completely define me. At the same time there's lot's of kids who can't get away from it, who have no choice because they don't have the smarts maybe to understand where their life will end up.

Education is the key, just read some of the posts in this place from some of the people here and you will see we need lots of education.

every gang starts out that way.

it's true for the irish and italian gangs at the turn of the century. even jewish gangs.

true for the older mexican , black , chinese and filipino gangs.

and it's true for the more recent el salvadorian , cambodian and other ethnic gangs.


gangs always seem to start from some new immigrant kids trying to protect themselves from the already established knucklehead kids.


the thing is though......most of the white and older asian immigrant groups have moved away from it.

there are no more irish , jewish or italian gangs. the older asian groups who have been here the longest , the japanese and filipinos have grown out of it for the most part.

chinese gangs only are still around because there are still some newcomer chinese immigrating to the u.s. and because they recruit non-chinese asians like vietnamese and cambodians.


as immigrant groups become more established , the gang involvement in those groups usually lessen.

not so with latinos and blacks.

and that's for sure an economic thing.

There are many reasons why certain minority groups just can't seem to rise from humble beginnings. We can discuss them all day long. But one thing is clear, if you continue to blame someone else for your troubles, you'll never go very far. If a Jew were denied a job at a particular place because he was Jewish, he'd get together with a few other Jews and buy the joint. (I'm only half-kidding. lol) The point is, stop complaining. It's just hot air. Do something about your situation. Take action! (By the way, I love and respect the Jewish people. They're a tiny minority, discriminated against more than any other people in history, but they've managed to become extremely accomplished and powerful. They don't rely on excuses.)

As several have already pointed out, education is a major tool in rising up from the mire. But there is more than one kind of learning. Cuauhtémoc makes an excellent observation: travel, mixing with people of different cultures and experiences is vital. It's a very practical form of education. I've done my share of traveling and mingling with different peoples. It will definitely make you see the world, and life, in a different way. There will always be haters, but I've found that most people will respect you when you speak and act a certain way. Everyone recognizes quality when they see it. (Some will hate you all the more for it. lol) Everyone wants to be around someone they consider valuable...a "winner."

Bottom line: If you live in the United States, your opportunities for growth are far greater than possibly any other place on earth...and greater than any other time in human history! (That will inspire some of you and depress others.) Stop focusing on what you don't have and start focusing on what you do have. Everybody wants something for nothing, but very few people hit the lottery. You can't control what others do or think, you can only control yourself.

[ChiRock773]

There are many reasons why certain minority groups just can't seem to rise from humble beginnings. We can discuss them all day long. But one thing is clear, if you continue to blame someone else for your troubles, you'll never go very far. If a Jew were denied a job at a particular place because he was Jewish, he'd get together with a few other Jews and buy the joint. (I'm only half-kidding. lol) The point is, stop complaining. It's just hot air. Do something about your situation. Take action! (By the way, I love and respect the Jewish people. They're a tiny minority, discriminated against more than any other people in history, but they've managed to become extremely accomplished and powerful. They don't rely on excuses.)

As several have already pointed out, education is a major tool in rising up from the mire. But there is more than one kind of learning. Cuauhtémoc makes an excellent observation: travel, mixing with people of different cultures and experiences is vital. It's a very practical form of education. I've done my share of traveling and mingling with different peoples. It will definitely make you see the world, and life, in a different way. There will always be haters, but I've found that most people will respect you when you speak and act a certain way. Everyone recognizes quality when they see it. (Some will hate you all the more for it. lol) Everyone wants to be around someone they consider valuable...a "winner."

Bottom line: If you live in the United States, your opportunities for growth are far greater than possibly any other place on earth...and greater than any other time in human history! (That will inspire some of you and depress others.) Stop focusing on what you don't have and start focusing on what you do have. Everybody wants something for nothing, but very few people hit the lottery. You can't control what others do or think, you can only control yourself.

Yea every group is different but at the same time go though some of the same things when they come to this country....I think most of the Cubans that came to his country in the 50's and 60's were pretty well off and educated and came here to escape Fidel and communsism....same goes for alot of the persians and middle easterners, like Iranians, Armenians, Arabs...

While most Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans that come to this country come due to poverty....when they get here most are poor with no education so it takes longer for them to move up the ladder....but if you came here at an early age than you should have no problem assimilating and gettin with the program...

What it comes down to now a day's is the parents...if your parents don't give a **** about you and don't guide you towards a brighter future you probably aint gonna be achieving much...It don't matter if you're hispanic, white, black or asian....I mean look at african americans..they've been here for generations but still have very high poverty rates, crime rates, drop out rates....

This is still the land of opportunity...it's not what it was befor for everyone in general but it's still the best county to live in....

[CubanGuyNYC]

Yea every group is different but at the same time go though some of the same things when they come to this country....I think most of the Cubans that came to his country in the 50's and 60's were pretty well off and educated and came here to escape Fidel and communsism....same goes for alot of the persians and middle easterners, like Iranians, Armenians, Arabs...

While most Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans that come to this country come due to poverty....when they get here most are poor with no education so it takes longer for them to move up the ladder....but if you came here at an early age than you should have no problem assimilating and gettin with the program...

What it comes down to now a day's is the parents...if your parents don't give a **** about you and don't guide you towards a brighter future you probably aint gonna be achieving much...It don't matter if you're hispanic, white, black or asian....I mean look at african americans..they've been here for generations but still have very high poverty rates, crime rates, drop out rates....

This is still the land of opportunity...it's not what it was befor for everyone in general but it's still the best county to live in....

No doubt, people that come to the United States with a professional background and education are equipped to make it. You're right, the Cubans that came before and just after Castro took power were mostly educated and (formerly) well-off. When they got to U.S. shores, former Doctors, Lawyers and other professionals had to wash dishes and scrub floors just like common peasants. However, education is something that only death can erase. These same people were able to rise up and succeed with the education they had and, more importantly, the character and smarts it breeds.

You're also right about the path to success starting at home. Parents need to instill a desire in their kids to succeed. That, I assure you, isn't necessarily something tied to education and affluence (although it certainly is a product of it). There have been countless poor, uneducated parents that have inspired their children to strive for more simply by caring enough to make their expectations clear. Case in point: A friend of mine is a Harvard-educated doctor. He's Puerto Rican, and was raised under humble circumstances in NYC by his single mother. All she could truly give him was an example of responsibility and expectations of the same. He did the rest. Certainly this won't work in every case, but it goes very far.

I belong to a local chess club. While the adult members are generally white, there are a few Latinos and fewer blacks. The only children I ever see there are Asian (including Indians), never a black or Latino child. Most of these kids' parents don't play. They take their children to the club so they can participate in a tournament and sit there on their lap-tops while their kids compete. These people are building their children's future. They're pushing them to participate in a challenging, highly competitive endeavor -- not to become future chess champions, but to build their wits, character and competitive drive. These are the leaders of tomorrow. And, unfortunately, they'll be leading a lot of blacks and Latinos....

[Sifo]

There are many reasons why certain minority groups just can't seem to rise from humble beginnings. We can discuss them all day long. But one thing is clear, if you continue to blame someone else for your troubles, you'll never go very far. If a Jew were denied a job at a particular place because he was Jewish, he'd get together with a few other Jews and buy the joint. (I'm only half-kidding. lol) The point is, stop complaining. It's just hot air. Do something about your situation. Take action! (By the way, I love and respect the Jewish people. They're a tiny minority, discriminated against more than any other people in history, but they've managed to become extremely accomplished and powerful. They don't rely on excuses.)

As several have already pointed out, education is a major tool in rising up from the mire. But there is more than one kind of learning. Cuauhtémoc makes an excellent observation: travel, mixing with people of different cultures and experiences is vital. It's a very practical form of education. I've done my share of traveling and mingling with different peoples. It will definitely make you see the world, and life, in a different way. There will always be haters, but I've found that most people will respect you when you speak and act a certain way. Everyone recognizes quality when they see it. (Some will hate you all the more for it. lol) Everyone wants to be around someone they consider valuable...a "winner."

Bottom line: If you live in the United States, your opportunities for growth are far greater than possibly any other place on earth...and greater than any other time in human history! (That will inspire some of you and depress others.) Stop focusing on what you don't have and start focusing on what you do have. Everybody wants something for nothing, but very few people hit the lottery. You can't control what others do or think, you can only control yourself.

i cant agree with the bolded. sorry.

[CubanGuyNYC]

i cant agree with the bolded. sorry.

You think there was a better time for self-empowerment? When?

[Sifo]

You think there was a better time for self-empowerment? When?

cambodians are overrated