Why does LA have such Bad Gang Problem (Los Angeles, Compton: environment, gated)

[RobE]

The thing that chaps my behind is that the tone of that article was almost wistful. And that has been part of the problem. Too many hispanics, even ones who have college degrees, romanticize the gangs. One veterano in his mid-30's who I once worked with showed me a picture of his 12 year old son fully kitted out in gang attire. I wanted to puke. Dad couldn't have been any prouder while I was horrified.

Nobody will say Mexican-American culture is sick when it tolerates this behavior, but I will. Gang chic has to go.

[THASPECIAL]

Just because you are Mexican doesn't mean u are a criminal

[Vicman]

Richard Geib stated this on his page about his time teaching at Berendo Middle School (at Leaving Los Angeles: Good-bye to Gangs, Drugs, Poverty, Violence, etc. ):

"Although some chicano writer or college professor might see the cholo as a legitimate expression of the Latino American identity, the average Mexican father sees a shaved-head gang member with a gun and respect for nothing and nobody as just as much of an ugly aberration as does his middle-American counterpart."

So, if Geib is accurate, then this will sound really strange.

By the way, I laughed at those street punks and inner city thugs who felt disgust at losing their territory.

Originally Posted by RobE

The thing that chaps my behind is that the tone of that article was almost wistful. And that has been part of the problem. Too many hispanics, even ones who have college degrees, romanticize the gangs. One veterano in his mid-30's who I once worked with showed me a picture of his 12 year old son fully kitted out in gang attire. I wanted to puke. Dad couldn't have been any prouder while I was horrified.

Nobody will say Mexican-American culture is sick when it tolerates this behavior, but I will. Gang chic has to go.

[abstrak_tokatl]

Originally Posted by kgee

L.A. has such a bad gang problem because of how the city allowed immigrants to come here illegally, followed by bad parenting. Like mentioned, education isn't valued and it is better for them to quit school to get a job and help the family. Only working the local store making pennies doesn't help much and selling drugs and getting into criminal activity does. They see the cars, jewelry etc and are enticed.
Of course there are some who honestly want to believe this is their own Wild Wild West and in some way believe this is their land and they are entitled to it. There are 14-21 year olds who REALLY go around thinking this is the only way of life. It's the best thing in the world for them. Plus they are lazy and the cool thing is to be ignorant and 'gangsta" these days.

IMO, they should all be killed and not placed in prison or sent back "home".

LA has bad gang problems be cause of people from new york wanting to move here and illegall walk across our streets.... oh wait... their white....must be the mexicans.... oh shi* mexicans are white.... must be mexicans... aka.. GROW THE **** UP and stop being a racist!

[THASPECIAL]

Originally Posted by abstrak_tokatl

LA has bad gang problems be cause of people from new york wanting to move here and illegall walk across our streets.... oh wait... their white....must be the mexicans.... oh shi* mexicans are white.... must be mexicans... aka.. GROW THE **** UP and stop being a racist!

New York...LOL.....Mexicans are harder than what New Yorkers have to offer...New Yorkers go off of thier accent to make people think they are tougher than anywhere else...that is all they have ..(the average New Yorker THAT is) don't let em scare ya.....Mexico has a worse crime problem than NYC and that can be proven....so please dont give new yorkers a reason to think they are "all that" ....that is what they want...for you to be scared of them"....Cali is gang capital.....but i love the nice areas in Cali but Cali "can" compare to what these New YOrkers "want" you to believe........i am from Florida and would be more scared to walk through a Cali Ghetto than a NYC ghetto even if there is crime in both....just my skin color would get me shot in a Cali Ghetto

[SAtoDallas]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

You have to admit the new arrivals from Mexico are from farms and ranches in basically third-world atmospheres. A bit different from the earlier immigrants.

Yeah because it is well documented that earlier immigrants came from cities.

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by THASPECIAL

You are right.........i am from Miami. I love it there but its not all South Beach there....if you think it is you probably lived inside your house all your life or on the Beach (on your beach towel to be exact) down there. The "Cocaine Cowboys" era of MiAMI brought a new style of criminal to Miami in the 80's and was the main entrance point for Cocaine in the U.S. at that time and alot of those drugs stayed in the city and created alot of addicts. Miami does have ghetto areas just like Compton and Watts......Not as strong of a gang presense in Miami because its more about drug dealing in Miami and thugs looking to rob people for drugs or money.......its more about making money in Miami than about being in a gang for loyalty and protection even though drug sales is what most gangs use to make money.....i am just saying that the "gang mentality" is less in Miami than L.A......but it is more alot of thugs in Miami just trying to make money whatever way they can but there is some gangs in Miami just not the way L.A. is.....Whoever said Miami was paradise compared to L.A. is oblivious.....both cities have major bad areas.....just different ways of doing things

Yes, yes, and yes. Anyone who is genuinely from Miami has accidently driven a little too far west and when they did made sure all their doors were locked...and yes, Miami is a different place.

[SurekRZA]

This is stupid. Nobody in the Valley is hidding behind couches and keeping guns under the pillows. My friend grew up on Vermont and Lockwood which is in Hollywood. It looks scary but its not. He has never been shot nor has his family. Unless you are looking for trouble then you will find it. If you mind your own business and go about your life you can live in South Central and not have a problem. Remember, human beings live here not monsters or familys like in the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. lol but its true.

[abstrak_tokatl]

Originally Posted by THASPECIAL

New York...LOL.....Mexicans are harder than what New Yorkers have to offer...New Yorkers go off of thier accent to make people think they are tougher than anywhere else...that is all they have ..(the average New Yorker THAT is) don't let em scare ya.....Mexico has a worse crime problem than NYC and that can be proven....so please dont give new yorkers a reason to think they are "all that" ....that is what they want...for you to be scared of them"....Cali is gang capital.....but i love the nice areas in Cali but Cali "can" compare to what these New YOrkers "want" you to believe........i am from Florida and would be more scared to walk through a Cali Ghetto than a NYC ghetto even if there is crime in both....just my skin color would get me shot in a Cali Ghetto

and just wakling around in New york almost got me shot because of my skin color. So the F what?

My point is that Immigrants and gangs aren't the problem here. it's new yorkers, and other east coast enders that cause troubles.

Cali ain't the gang capitol. And Mexico having it worse then new york, whether it can be proven or not, don't mean cali is the gang capitol.

[Caliguy2007]

L.A has Millions of People and it's Huge,so eventually you'll find Gangs there just like in any other City in the Country,but things in my opinion have been improving.

The Gang Problems that L.A faced with during the 1980's and 90's was much worst that it is today,and only certain parts of L.A is considered Ghetto,not the entire Region.