Description
Winner, Best Book on Ethnic and Racial Politics in a Local or Urban Setting, Organized Section on Race, Ethnicity, and Politics of the American Political Science Association, 2002
This cross-cultural study of Los Angeles gangs identifies the social and economic factors that lead to gang membership and underscores their commonality across four ethnic groups--Chicano, African American, Vietnamese, and Salvadorian.
With nearly 1,000 gangs and 200,000 gang members, Los Angeles holds the dubious distinction of being the youth gang capital of the United States. The process of street socialization that leads to gang membership now cuts across all ethnic groups, as evidenced by the growing numbers of gangs among recent immigrants from Asia and Latin America.This cross-cultural study of Los Angeles gangs identifies the social and economic factors that lead to gang membership and underscores their commonality across four ethnic groups--Chicano, African American, Vietnamese, and Salvadorian. James Diego Vigil begins at the community level, examining how destabilizing forces and marginalizing changes have disrupted the normal structures of parenting, schooling, and policing, thereby compelling many youths to grow up on the streets. He then turns to gang members' life stories to show how societal forces play out in individual lives. His findings provide a wealth of comparative data for scholars, policymakers, and law enforcement personnel seeking to respond to the complex problems associated with gangs.
Author: James Diego Vigil
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 01/10/2023
Pages: 231
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.91w x 0.79d
ISBN13: 9781477327050
ISBN10: 1477327053
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Anthropology | Cultural & Social
- Social Science | Minority Studies
- Social Science | Sociology | Urban
About the Author
James Diego Vigil is Professor of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.