Hispanic Gangs

1
Hispanic Gangs

• Understanding the Marginal Man or woman

2
The Beginnings of Hispanic Gangs

• We can say that in some ways the end of the War
  with Mexico is the beginning of Hispanic street
  gangs in the US.
  
• The resentments and general attitudes of Anglos
  after the War caused resentment to grow and
  fester among Mexican Americans who felt they had
  been cheated by the Americans out of their
  heritage.

3
Hispanic Gangs

• In the early 1900's, Los Angeles experienced the
  birth of the first Hispanic street gangs. 
  Mexican-Americans who lived in the "pueblo" of
  Los Angeles still felt displaced, even as
  naturalized citizens.  Many of these new
  Americans were treated like second-class citizens
  by white Angelenos, and were told to go back to
  their home, Mexico.  In the minds of Hispanics in
  Los Angeles, they were already home, but their
  home was now part of the United States because of
  the annexation. 

4
The Mexican immigrants also tended to
live in the same areas, with family or other
Mexicans who migrated from the same geographical
areas of Mexico.  These neighborhoods were often
some of the poorest areas in rapidly growing Los
Angeles.  These conditions aided in the
development of rivalries between various
immigrant groups.  A modern class distinction was
also developing.  Mexican street gangs formed in
part due to economic conditions, prejudice and
racism
5
By the 1920s, El Paso, Texas had
become a center for many immigrant Mexicans, much
like Los Angeles.  In fact, an underground travel
route developed between the two cities.  This
route allowed El Paso trends to directly
influence the L.A. street gangs.  In El Paso,
Texas, many of the Mexicans who went to prison
were incarcerated in Huntsville.  While in the
Huntsville prison, they formed a prison gang
called the El Paso Tip.  El Paso Tip took it's
name from the area of Texas where the prison was
located.  Fellow gang members would greet each
other by saying "are you tipped up?" or "are you
tipped?" 
6
The growth of the aircraft industry
in the 40s in California brought many immigrants
to California including Mexicans.
7
Zoot Suits and the Pachucos

• Mickey Garcia, a young boy from Pachuca, Hidalgo,
  Mexico migrated north and relocated in El Paso,
  Texas
  
• He immediately joined a local Mexican street gang
  called the Secundo Barrio.  Garcia also brought
  with him a unique style of dress, initially
  thought to have originated in Mexico.  Garcia's
  dress style became an instant hit with all the
  young people, especially the local gang members. 

8
Zoot Suits

• His fashion included a felt hat with a long
  feather in it, called a  tapa or tanda.  The
  pants were pleated and baggy, and referred to as 
  tramas.  The shirt was creased and called a 
  lisa.  A  carlango, a long, loose-fitting coat,
  was worn over the ensemble.  The shoes, called 
  calcos, were French-toe style or  Stacy Adams
  brand and were always shined.  To complete the
  style, one had to have a long chain attached to
  the belt loop that hung past the knee, and into
  the side pocket of the pants.  This outfit became
  known as the  zoot suit, and was later referred
  to as the  pachuco look. 

9
The Beginnings of Strife

• The Maravilla gangs started to form during the
  mid-to-late 1940s, and continued to grow well
  into the 1950s.  The concept of protecting turf
  was expanded within the housing projects known as
  Maravilla, where the Maravilla gangs got their
  start.  Competition for jobs, women and turf
  became issues for the youth that lived in this
  area.

10
1942 and the 18th Street Gang

• After a man was killed at a swimming hole,
  suspects were rounded up and subsequently sent to
  prison. They handled it well and became
  folk-heros in the Mexican-American community and
  the manner of dress they adopted a gang pride.

11
Zoot Suit Riot

• Resentments on part of Anglos
• Resentment on part of Mexican-Americans
• Conflicts with military personnel
• Resulted in ongoing assaults on men wearing Zoot
  Suits by military personnel

12
The Mexican Mafia

• Between 156-57 several Eslos were doing time at
  Duel Vocational Institute and formed La Eme
  
• San Quentin 1968
• A day-long battle between Mex-mafia and Nortenos.

13
Opposition to La Eme

• the murder solidified the rivalry between
  northern and southern Hispanics, both in the
  prison system and on the street.  The Hispanics
  from northern California formed  Nuestra Familia
  (NF), another prison gang,  in response to the
  conflict.  NF was formed to protect the northern
  Californians from La Eme, whose membership was
  made up primarily of southern Californians.

14
Street and prison gang members from
northern California began to use the number 14
as an identifier.  It represented the 14th letter
of the alphabet, the letter "N."  The letter
stood for  Norteno, the Spanish word for
northerner.  The term  norte was used to show
that a person was from the north.  Individuals
from southern California were automatically
considered rivals, both inside the prison system
and on the streets.
15
Inmates in the state prison system were
given bandannas in a railroad print, and could
select from two colors  red or blue.  Hispanic
street and prison gangs from northern California
claimed the color red to identify themselves. 
They used this color because most of the southern
California Hispanics in state prison had chosen
to wear a blue-colored railroad handkerchief. 
The Crips and Bloods were not the first gangs to
use red or blue to identify.
16
Code of Conduct Evolved

• Do not cooperate with the police
• Take care of business yourself (handle your own
  problems).
  
• Never snitch or inform on gang activity (be a 
  rata/rat).
  
• No insult, no matter how small, goes unanswered.

17
The New Hispanic Gang

• By the 1970s the firearm had become the weapon of
  choice
  
• New immigrants became a source of prey
• They formed gangs for self-protection
• Gang violence became the rule
• No rules, only the strong survive.

18
Drugs and Hispanic Gangs

• By the late 1980s, Hispanic gangs such as 18th
  Street, 38th Street, and Big Hazard began to sell
  drugs for profit. 
  
• Los Angeles the Gang capital of the US
• Respect was no longer based on age or experience,
  but on fear.

19
Latin King and Queen Nation

• Largest of Hispanic gangs in Chicago and perhaps
  in the US.
  
• Rooted in the Puerto Rican experience in the US.

20
Mara Salavatrucha (MS 13)

• In the early 1980s, a violent civil war began in
  El Salvador which would last more than 12 years. 
  Approximately 100,000 people were killed in the
  war, and more than one million people fled from
  El Salvador to the U.S. The Salvadorian refugees
  and immigrants initially settled primarily in
  southern California and Washington, D.C.. Some of
  the refugees and immigrants had ties with La
  Mara, a violent street gang from El Salvador.
  Others had been members of paramilitary groups
  like the Farabundo Marti National Liberation
  Front (FMNL) during the civil war. FMNL was made
  up of Salvadorian peasants who were trained as
  guerilla fighters. Many were adept at using
  explosives, firearms, and booby traps.

21
MS 13

• Most of the refugees settled in Hispanic
  neighborhoods, but were not readily accepted.
  
• The result was MS 13 formed in the late 1980s for
  protection.
  
• Known for being extremely violent with the
  machete being the weapon of choice.

22
MS 13

• Involved in a variety of crimes from drugs to
  theft and murder for hire.
  
• Originally only El Salvadorans could be in MS 13,
  but gradually they expanded to allow other
  central Americans and a few black Americans.

23
MS 13

• Gang members identify themselves with the number
  13, usually with SUR or MS included.
  
• They also identify themselves as southerners
  thus Surenos.
  
• They often attack 18th Street gang members on
  sight.
  
• Show no fear of Law Enforcement

24
MS 13

• Two primary methods for dealing with MS 13
• Arrest
• May involve prison time
• Deportation
• If sent back to El Salvadore gang members fear
  they will be targeted by Sombra Negra
  

25
18th Street Gang

• One of the largest and best known of street gangs
  in the nation.
  
• Expanded to many states and Indian country
• L/E estimates that member ship is at least 30,000.

26
18th Street Gang

• Formed in the 60s
• Result of racial discrimination by the Clanton
  Street Hispanic gang who restricted membership to
  American citizens of pure Hispanic origin.
  
• First gang to cross the racial barrier and this
  allowed a rapid and unchecked growth.

27
18th Street Gang

• Criminal Activity
• Drugs
• Heroin, coke, rock cocain, meth, Marijuana
• tax collection

28
18th Street Gang

• Characteristics
• Tattoos
• 18, 666, XVIII
• Clothing
• Black trousers, white T-shirts, sports teams

29
18th Street Gang

• Recruit from elementary age children
• A big arsenal of weapons
• Assault rifles, tech 9, Mac 10s and 11s, 357,
  9mm, .44s and so on
  
• Estimates are that the 18th Street gang will
  continue to grow.