History of gangs in america
The concept of a gang or "a group of youngsters or adolescents who associate closely, often exclusively, for social reasons,
especially such as a group engaging in delinquent behavior" began in America
dating back to the American Revolution with youth fighting over local territory.
The most notable emergence of gangs occurred in New York City around 1820 in the
wake of mass migrations to America from Europe. The members of these gangs
ranged in ages from early teens to about mid-twenties which are still similar ages of gang members today. They consisted of five main groups: “The Smiths’s Vly gang, the Bowery Boys, and the Broadway Boys were white, mainly Irish groups; the Fly Boys and the Long Bridge Boys were African American. Several early gangs were comprised mostly of white members, however, most early gangs were multi-ethnic and came from neighborhoods where race did not have such strict boundaries. Gangs can be described as "forming the basic unit of social life among young males in New York in the nineteenth century." Gangs at this time were not always violent, but this changed around 1880. Gangs started splintering into smaller groups and began doing petty crimes and getting involved with drugs such as Opium. The 1950s and 1960s saw a rise in racial tensions for gangs. Many Latin Americans began moving to New York and also, several African Americans moved to the city looking for work and were suddenly living very close to whites. By the 1960s, more than two thirds of the gangs in New York were Puerto Rican or African American and strictly segregated by race. These gangs have definitely influenced the gangs of today.
especially such as a group engaging in delinquent behavior" began in America
dating back to the American Revolution with youth fighting over local territory.
The most notable emergence of gangs occurred in New York City around 1820 in the
wake of mass migrations to America from Europe. The members of these gangs
ranged in ages from early teens to about mid-twenties which are still similar ages of gang members today. They consisted of five main groups: “The Smiths’s Vly gang, the Bowery Boys, and the Broadway Boys were white, mainly Irish groups; the Fly Boys and the Long Bridge Boys were African American. Several early gangs were comprised mostly of white members, however, most early gangs were multi-ethnic and came from neighborhoods where race did not have such strict boundaries. Gangs can be described as "forming the basic unit of social life among young males in New York in the nineteenth century." Gangs at this time were not always violent, but this changed around 1880. Gangs started splintering into smaller groups and began doing petty crimes and getting involved with drugs such as Opium. The 1950s and 1960s saw a rise in racial tensions for gangs. Many Latin Americans began moving to New York and also, several African Americans moved to the city looking for work and were suddenly living very close to whites. By the 1960s, more than two thirds of the gangs in New York were Puerto Rican or African American and strictly segregated by race. These gangs have definitely influenced the gangs of today.
tHE modERN aMERICAN GANG
Gangs today are far more widespread than gangs of the past. Gangs range in size from small specialty gangs of twenty-five members, to large traditional gangs with about one hundred eighty members. Some gangs in large cities can have thousands of members if their internal support systems are large enough and they cover a large enough territory. The age range of the typical gang is twelve to twenty-four years old, but younger members are becoming increasingly common. The average age of a gang member was seventeen in 1996 and as of today, that age has dropped to fifteen. Males far outnumber females in all gangs in America, regardless of racial demographics. Speaking of racial demographics, the National Youth Gang Center has reported that 35% of gang members are African-American, 44% were Hispanic, 10% were white, and 4% were Asian. According to a 1997 study of gang membership performed by Bursik and Grasmick, they conclude that, despite the disproportionate representation of minority group members in studies as compared with white youth, "blacks and Hispanics have no special predisposition to gang membership. Rather, they simply are overrepresented in those areas most likely to lead to gang activity." A fellow researcher Spergel agrees with their findings and includes: "Contemporary youth gangs are located primarily in lower-class, slum, ghetto, barrio, or working-class changing communities, but it is not clear that either class, poverty, culture, race or ethnicity, or social change per se primarily accounts for gang problems." Spergel's observation appears to be correct, because gangs have recently become much more prevalent in rural counties, small cities, and towns, for reasons that are not well understood.
Gang Stereotypes
There are many stereotypes of gangs in America, but four are most
prevalent:
1. Gangs are a collection of children from bad
families.
2. Gangs are compsoed mainly of minority (African
American and Latino) members.
3. Gangs are comprised of kids
who feel they have nowhere else to go and being in that gang gives them a sense of purpose.
4. Gangs always have negative consequences.
These stereotypes have existed for decades
and have changed in accuracy depending on the times. Based on current
information from the National Youth Gang Center, gangs are not so much a
collection of children from bad families as they are an ecological unit, a peer
group of neighborhood boys. Also, only one in five members of gangs have parents
who were also affiliated with gangs.
According to the most recent National Youth Gang Survey, 35% of gang members in
the United States were African American and 44% were hispanic. This statistic
shows that sometimes, stereotypes can be true. While in history, gang members
were primarily white, class status and historical segregation has led to the
"minority" races being predominant in gangs.
This stereotype is one that has increased in truth as more and more households
turned into two-income households, leaving children to fend for themselves of be
in lack-luster after-school programs. Anderson Cooper conducted an interview
with Nafesa (a gang member) and she expressed this sentiment of wanting
something to belong to. This video can be accessed here: http://www.andersoncooper.com/2011/10/27/what-does-being-in-a-gang-give-you/
Lastly, not all gangs are violent, nor do they all result in negative
consequences. The definition of gangs is changing and more and more members are
associating in gangs simply for social status reasons: getting dates, going to
parties, and increased status in
school.
prevalent:
1. Gangs are a collection of children from bad
families.
2. Gangs are compsoed mainly of minority (African
American and Latino) members.
3. Gangs are comprised of kids
who feel they have nowhere else to go and being in that gang gives them a sense of purpose.
4. Gangs always have negative consequences.
These stereotypes have existed for decades
and have changed in accuracy depending on the times. Based on current
information from the National Youth Gang Center, gangs are not so much a
collection of children from bad families as they are an ecological unit, a peer
group of neighborhood boys. Also, only one in five members of gangs have parents
who were also affiliated with gangs.
According to the most recent National Youth Gang Survey, 35% of gang members in
the United States were African American and 44% were hispanic. This statistic
shows that sometimes, stereotypes can be true. While in history, gang members
were primarily white, class status and historical segregation has led to the
"minority" races being predominant in gangs.
This stereotype is one that has increased in truth as more and more households
turned into two-income households, leaving children to fend for themselves of be
in lack-luster after-school programs. Anderson Cooper conducted an interview
with Nafesa (a gang member) and she expressed this sentiment of wanting
something to belong to. This video can be accessed here: http://www.andersoncooper.com/2011/10/27/what-does-being-in-a-gang-give-you/
Lastly, not all gangs are violent, nor do they all result in negative
consequences. The definition of gangs is changing and more and more members are
associating in gangs simply for social status reasons: getting dates, going to
parties, and increased status in
school.
gANG representations IN AT-RISK
Amina Gautier was very careful when presenting stereotypes in At-Risk because, in her words, she "navigates the stereotypes by not having them be the main focus of the story, but still including them." In The Ease of Living, Jason is affiliated with a gang, but his involvement is not one of violence that many would expect. Also, two of his gang-member friends did die, but he had nothing to do with their death. This was the careful navigation of Gautier at work here. The reference to typical gang violence is made, but we are treated to a main character who is not violent and does have a good life. He has a loving mother and grandfather which is not what many expect when thinking of an African American gang member. Also, the gang members in this story were predominantly African American. This however is simply a realistic choice given the neighborhood and should not be viewed as trying to prove or fulfill any stereotype.
Another story in this collection that includes a character with gang mentality is Push. The narrator is a young girl who does come from a bad family background and refers to having many "uncles" over to spend the night with her mom. She pushes a young girl Colleen in her class and describes the pushing as, " When they are going down the stairs and the girl pushed Colleen down the steps or forces her into the railing, the girl feels a part of something larger than herself. She believes, deep down, that Colleen expects it, in fact cannot live without it. On rare occasions when the girl has not indulges in a minor act or violence, she has caught Colleen sneaking wounded glances at her." This represents the stereotype that gangs or gang "violence" can give people a sense of purpose. The narrator was clearly a very lonely girl looking for anything to bring her pleasure in life. She was so sad with her own living situation and lack of a father, that she lashed out at a girl who did have these privileges. Gautier tackles this stereotype head on by creating a character that fulfills these qualities, but is not in a gang.
Resources to counter gang influence
http://www.atriskyouthprograms.com/
This website is a resource for parents and teens that helps answer the difficult questions that one might be facing if their life is heading down a path that they do not like. There are articles, quizzes, talking points, and opportunities for parents and teens who feel that they want to do more in life and improve on their current "at risk" situation.
https://www.detroitmi.gov/DepartmentsandAgencies/PoliceDepartment/YouthPrograms.aspx
This website provides information on youth programs run by law enforcement in Detroit specifically for youth. These programs are educational and help the create a great relationship between the youth and law enforcement of Detroit while also promoting safe and responsible behavior.
Sources
Bilchik, Shay. "History of Youth Gangs." Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Aug. 1998. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9808/history.html>.
Howell, James C., and John P. Moore. "History of Street Gangs in the United
States."National Gang Center. National Gang Center, May 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/History-of-Street-Gangs.pdf>.