Gang Culture in the West Essay

Initially gang activity could only be found in large metropolitan cities, but now gangs have invaded neighborhoods of all sizes across the country. Gangs introduce violence and fear to the communities they occupy, raise the level of drug activities, and destroy businesses and property which brings down the overall value of the whole area. Instead of going to school, many young people find themselves drawn in to the gang life which in most cases either leads to being locked up or death. There are various reasons why people would want to join a gang, but no matter what that reason might be one can only expect a life of violence and troubles.

For a law-abiding citizen, the status symbols of the gang MS-13 seem peculiar. To be a high-ranking member or, at the very least, a valued member of the group, one must have a high-kill rate. The more you kill, the more precious you become to the group; they know they can count on you to defend their turf and thus you earn yourself a higher place on the metaphorical gang ladder. Similarly speaking, the more turf you defend by killing rival gang members and anyone who threatens your control of the area, the more land you can mark up with MS-13 graffiti. Although this may be considered more of a group status symbol, I believe the concept still applies. Another status symbol in MS-13 is tattoos showcasing your time in prison. If you have a prison

It is estimated that there are roughly 24,000 gangs in America today. There are 750,000 stated gang members. Gangs are taking over our youth and our county. In 1996 50% of all gang members were juveniles. Twelve years later that percentage has not changed. Gang violence is on the rise and it has to stop. We have to take back our streets and our children.

Gangs often target youth when recruiting new members, with the average age of initiation being 13 years old (Omizo, Omizo, and Honda). A personal interview with police gang specialist, Rob Geis, revealed that the rapid growth of gangs is resulting in recruitment at shockingly young

The gangs have formed part of Central America. For a long time, but in the early 1980s they began to work. There are numerous reasons for the gangs to grow because of the lack of education, culture of violence, poverty, and dysfunctional families. The two largest gangs are the Mara Salvatrucha known as MS-13 or Maras and The Eighteen Street gang also known as Barrio 18. The Barrio 18 despises MS 13. The rise of the Maras happened with the migration and the blend of different street cultures. The gang known as Barrio 18 was originally formed by Mexicans immigrants. Over the years, each gang has grown and taken up 60 percent of the population. These gangs have taken over the territories and have also controlled over some prisons

Defining gangs have been compared to packs, teams, and groups. Participants of gangs do not necessarily commit violent acts or commence in illegal matters. The National Gang Center has come to a consensus on defining gangs with the commonalities of three or more members between the ages of 12 through 24, shared identity, recognized by others as a gang or crew, has levels of organization, and usually involved in criminal activities (Shelden, Tracy, Brown, 2013). Some gangs are excluded from this definition due to not proportionate with their usual activities. Overall, we can consider gangs to be founded when members share similar characteristics and establish a symbol to represent their livelihood.

Originating in the United States, ms-13 and similar gangs have had a devastating impact on central America. This article describes the origins from the United States and how through the Los Angeles Riots and other tough on crime policies had the effect of placing many immigrants and criminals back in their home country of central America. The deportees some of that might have been criminals and taken to the United States as children, united in desperation to become ms-13. The article further describes the brutality that the gangs have committed in the region. Through drug trade, smuggling and senseless murder, life in central America has been disturbed by gangs and have become a national security there. The dangers of gangs in central America

The gangs have formed part of Central America. For a long time, but in the early 1980s, they began to work. There are numerous reasons for the gangs to grow because of the lack of education, culture of violence, poverty, and dysfunctional families. The two largest gangs are the Mara Salvatrucha known as MS-13 or Maras and The Eighteen Street gang also known as Barrio 18. The Barrio 18 despises MS 13. The rise of the Maras happened with the migration and the blend of different street cultures. The gang known as Barrio 18 was originally formed by Mexicans immigrants. Over the years, each gang has grown and taken up 60 percent of the population. These gangs have taken over the territories and have also controlled over some prisons

The MS-13 gang has cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States and is unique in that it retains is ties to its El Salvador counterparts. With cliques in Washington DC, Oregon, Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and several other South American countries, the MS-13 gang is truly "international" and on the verge of becoming the first gang to be categorized as an "organized crime" entity.” (MS13 Gang….)The strength of the gang members is 36,000 in Honduras. The age of the members is normally between 11 to 40 years. Initially started as a defensive organization to protect El Salvadorian immigrants from the cruelty of LA gangs, the gang soon began targeting the members of the Salvadorian community as well. Criminality became a way of life for the M-13 gang members, with no holds barred. It soon turned out to be business of profiteering, and it expanded rapidly across the United States. By the 1990s, its network spread like the octopus growing in all directions, and its membership had reached the East Coast. Initially they were not well-organized. In the early 2000s, the organizational pattern had changed. The leadership of these newly organized units emanated from faraway places like California and El Salvador. Cells began to sprout all over the country. In Texas and the Rio

MS-13 the gang depicted in the documentary, “World’s Most Dangerous Gang” is shown as having a deep seeded rooted collection of social integration through use of semiology, terror, family, and the use of symbolic imagery and art. The most deeply rooted connection of the original MS-13 members is the tight bond over the 1979 El Salvador Civil War. This war lead to the refuge and fleeing of several El Salvador citizens to the western United States seeking solace and peace in the land of Opportunity. Many MS-13 members would want to seek a better life in the red, white, and blue only to find that life here would proof to be much harder or if not the same. This brotherhood of people coming together over a Civil War made them stronger and connected

MS-13 uses highly advanced means of communication ranging from a complete hand signal alphabet and code system to using various methods on the internet. By posting lookouts, gang members are able to forewarn other members of approaching law enforcement and rival gang members by secret signals. Members also have the ability to strategize and coordinate across towns, cities, states, and even countries via the internet. MS-13 and other technologically savvy Hispanic gangs are truly international organizations.

“Gangs have morphed from social organizations into full-fledged criminal enterprises” (Thomas, 2009, para 5). Gangs are highly sophisticated and more dangerous then ever. The number one reason to join a gang is money; and 95 percent of gangs profit comes from drug dealing

In a way MS13 is a government in its own state. They tax the people that live and sell on their streets in order for protection from them and other gangs in the areas. If these people do not obey their laws, then they are punished. Whether these crimes be not paying their taxes or just not doing the right thing they still will go all out with their punishments are still brutal. The cities that this gang thrives in are very dangerous. You could walk outside and be in the middle of a gang war and be collateral damage. MS13 has all the levels of a government as well. They have the leader, the leaders of the sections, then they have all the foot soldiers. They recruit women and children to be in this “family” as they call it, when you join you are in for life. There is no way of escaping.

Not only are these teenage boys and girls committing heinous violent acts; they participate in drug distribution, prostitution, grand thefts, vandalism, human trafficking, and they themselves often become drug users. Gangs make schools unsafe in many areas and increase the risk of other children becoming involved in the gangs. Parents who live in the inner-cities are worried daily about the possibility of their children becoming gang members. They must also fret about the possibility of their children being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being caught in a drive by shooting or something of that

Street gangs in this country can probably be traced back to the first wave of Europeans who migrated to the colonies for a better life for themselves and their families. Many of the first gangs were formed as a means of self protection, with the thinking that there is simply strength in numbers. The missions of gangs in today’s society have grown and emerged to include many violent criminal avenues, including drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and extortion but the original thinking that there is strength in numbers remains true. Criminology experts believe that the number of teens involved in gangs or gang activity may be as high as 1 in every 5 people in most urban areas. Those number jump to 1 in every 3 people in