Gangland, USA

Hey! Today we have been looking at different articles from our textbook Access. I chose an article about gangs in USA called “Gangland, USA”. I think gangs and the culture is interesting because you never really know what is right and I’m always surprised by what I read and hear about gangs. That’s why I chose this article.

Gangs have been around since the beginning of the immigration. Ethnic groups with different values and cultures collided together creating gangs and separate areas for different people. When the Europeans came to America they settled and craved work, but some people were willing to do a certain for less so conflicts became present. People stuck to their own groups and a movie called “Gangs of New York” shows this in a very good way.

African American gangs were formed in large cities such as Chicago, NY and LA in the 1960s. These gangs are what formed and shaped the gang culture we have today. By the early 1970s, LA had two huge rival gangs, The Crips (blue) and the Bloods (red). Two very violent gangs in the ghettos of LA, that still remains today. For people living in these gangs, killing, shooting, drugs violence is a part of their everyday challenges and has been turned into a lifestyle.

Drugs started to pave the way for the upcoming drug gangs. America became the number one drug consumer by the early 1990s and drugs were distributed to every corner and every single person who wanted it. Along with the drugs came more violence and as the article states; Violence became a standard procedure for the gangs.

Other non-violent gangs were also formed at this time. African Americans were still oppressed and struggled. They got together and worked their way towards equality. During the civil rights movement, a group called the Black Panthers also worked for equal rights for blacks, but used different methods. They gave the green light for violence and believed they had to win their rights back with elbows and fists.

The 1990s were filled with street gangs and a major expansion of these street gangs. The number of gang members in 2005 was estimated to be around nine million which gives an indicator of what it was and how much the culture has grown.