The projects : gang and non-gang families in East Los Angeles

256 Pages·2007·10.88 MB·English

by  Vigil

The Projects
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The
Projects
​Gang​and​Non-Gang​Families​in​East​Los​Angeles
James Diego Vigil
Foreword by Thomas S. Weisner
University of texas Press, aUstin
Copyright © 2007 by the University of texas press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First edition, 2007
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♾ The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements
of ansi/niso Z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Library of Congress CataLoging-in-pUbLiCation Data
Vigil, James Diego, 1938–
The projects : gang and non-gang families in East Los Angeles /
James Diego Vigil ; foreword by Thomas S. Weisner. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
isbn 978-0-292-71730-5 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn 978-0-292-71731-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Gangs—California—Los Angeles. 2. Gang members—Family
relationships—California—Los Angeles. 3. Poor families—California—Los
Angeles. 4. Public housing—California—Los Angeles. 5. Pico Gardens (Los
Angeles, Calif.)—Social conditions. 6. Los Angeles (Calif.)—Social conditions.
I. Title.
hv6439.U7L785 2007
364.106'60979494—dc22 2007024575
This book is dedicated to
Father Gregory J. Boyle, S.J.,
the human beacon light
and clarion call
for what our nation needs
to combat gangs.
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CoNtENts
foreworD by thomas s. weisner ix
prefaCe xiii
One. Introduction 1
Two. Rationale​and​Methods 20
Three. A​History​of​the​Cuatro​Flats​Barrio​Gang​ 39
Four.​ the​Gang​subculture:​Change​and​Continuity​ 54
Five.​ the​Pico​Gardens​Clique​ 71
Six.​ A​Gang​Life​ 94
Seven.​ Cholas​in​the​World​of​Gangs​ 106
eight.​ Why​Children​Either​Avoid​or​Affiliate​with​Gangs​ 126
nine.​ Families​Not​Involved​with​Gangs​ 141
Ten.​ A​Closer​Look​at​Gang-Affiliated​Families​ 158
eleven.​ Gang​Prevention​and​Intervention​strategies​over​time​ 177
Twelve.​ Conclusion​and​Recommendations 195
referenCes 213
inDex 227
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FoREWoRd
The next time you read about gang violence, or proposals to do something
about gangs and the neighborhoods they inhabit, you will bring an enriched
frame of mind and understanding to the topic after reading Diego Vigil’s
book. The Projects brings gangs and families to life; it is a holistic study in
the best sense. You will think of gang members not simply as individuals in
isolation, but as struggling families and children embedded in their socio-
cultural setting, with a sense of how they think, feel, and experience their
world. The Projects provides evidence across levels of analysis, from struc-
tural conditions in the United States and in Los Angeles, to neighborhood
and housing project circumstances, to family and school contexts, and—
last but not least—to the everyday practices of families and gang members
themselves.
The topics covered in Vigil’s book move from the physical settings, to
local history, to local gang and family subcultures, to a case study of one
gang member and his family, to the stories of girls and young mothers in
this world (the research team identifies three types of female gangs and gang
members, and describes the very frequent sexual abuse and drug/alcohol
abuse in their early experience), to important descriptions of the lives of
non-gang families, along with a comparison of families embedded in the
gang world. The book offers a conceptual overview of the factors pushing
and pulling youth, a history of prevention/intervention efforts, and a con-
cluding set of policy recommendations.
Vigil offers many compelling examples of everyday activities and rou-
tines of gang members and their families. Whatever the structural and
neighborhood circumstances that beset these youth and their families, the