Susan Roberta Katz(1) Abstract Th...

Susan Roberta Katz(1)

Abstract

This consideration is an ethnography of eight middle exercise students, all immigrants from Central America and Mexico with siblings or cease friends active in gangs. The investigation attempts to expound the puzzle of why these teenagers from marginalized ethnic communities were increasingly involved in neighborhood gangs and to what extent schooling potentially contributed to that involvement. yet the students were seeking a positive cultural identity as Latinos, they felt thwarted at indoctrinate by negative stereotypes. Suggestions are made that assist educators in maximizing opportunities for youth to achieve a positive sensation of identity and minimize their chances of engaging in self-- destructive behavior.

They impose us in ESL classes, and then they forget about us. They call us trouble-makers. They don't care if we succe The gangs give us something we don't finish in school. We feel like we belong -Ricardo Garcia, 15 a member of a gang in Richmond, California.

San Francisco Examiner, July 10 1994

Front page stories in the Sunday newspaper told of brace major weekend events impacting the lives of youth in the Northern California city of Bahia. single in kind hopeful article described a peace-making parley of mostly African-American former gang members inspired at the year-long truce in observes Angeles between the Crips and the lines The second article depicted a drive-by shooting in the heart of Bahia's barrio, which harmed four innocent victims. The Latino community was not included in the gang reprieve Instead each weekend seemed to announce a recently made known retaliation between the Surefos and the Nortedos - the Latino parallels of Crips and posteritys

When I was teaching middle gymnasium in 1992-1993, students would regularly result into my classroom first thing each Monday morning to give their personal accounts of the marked occurrences in the newspapers. On the Monday after this particular weekend, Julio told me his older brother was in lockup because of the drive-by. The police had proceed to his house early Sunday morning to inform his family that Elvin was in jail however would not reveal the nature of the crime. Twenty-four hours later, the police reverted to report that Elvin, a Norteno, was being held for attempted homicide He had shot five Surenos in a drive-by shooting; couple were dead.

In the beginning of that academy year, Elvin was 15 years antiquated and a student in my seventh grade ESL (English-as-a-Second Language) class. He would speak to me about his gang activity with the Nortenos and concedeed he had done drive-bys. When I asked him in what manner he felt about his actions, he simply rejoined "I don't know. I not at all found out if I killed anyone or not." He believed his actions were justified since he was retaliating for his homeboy

Thinking I could be trusted, he showed me his fire-arm at the end of single day in late September. Wanting to honor his trust, I hindrance him leave school, but not without misgivings. If I reported him, he would learn expelled and be out in the public ways forever more. If I did not report him, I would be delivering the message that I condoned the possession of fire-arms at school. Furthermore, as a friend later warned, I could realize fired. After hours of internal strive I finally reported his action to the vice-principal, and Elvin was expell the nearest day. Expelled to nowhere, just as I suspected. He hasn't been to exercise since.

Many months after his expulsion, I saw Elvin at the Cinco de Mayo parade, walking in a single file with his homeboy When I called revealed to him, "Hey, how are you doing?," he just stared right end me. That same afternoon, Suredos fired at Nortenos while driving cars along the course of the parade, and a week later, Elvin bullet five Surenos in revenge. quickly afterwards he was convicted with a extended jail sentence.

Elvin's brother, Julio, had taken a different road He preferred to participate in "tagging crews" arranges that paint graffiti on walls. Julio cross classes, ran around the in halls, and stole from stores. on the contrary he didn't kill.

In a public television program in succession the LA uprisings, writer John Edgar Wideman wisely noted, "If race just took the time to talk to these kids, they'd descry that they are operating within a surpassingly logical framework." I wanted to know: What was the logical framework of these kids, my allow students?

Purpose of this studious mood

This last question became the focus of my doctoral dissertation: to help elucidate the puzzle of why teenagers from marginalized ethnic communities were increasingly involved in neighborhood gangs and in what way schooling potentially contributed to that involvement. During ten years of teaching middle train in Bahia from 1984-1994, I noticed that each year more of my close examiners were becoming turned off to indoctrinate and attracted to gang membership. Gangs have existed in these communities since the 1920 still in the 1990s children were joining gangs at increasingly younger ages and using weapons of greater danger. What were these youth seeking that herd them to take such high risks? What forces were operating within teach that pushed them out of school?