Los Algodones

By creating more jobs, the government can keep the people occupied with a reason to get through the day without getting involved with MS 13. El Salvador is one of the many countries in poverty. Creating more jobs will be difficult, but it can be done with the collaboration of the country’s people. Elaine Denny, from the New York Times says, “A business cannot grow in a place where gangs require monthly or even weekly fees” (Denny, 2015). In many ways she could be right, that is why the violence…

Before the 1940s, Hollywood and the Studio System, was one that carried the American Film Industry to new heights and brought on different visions from aspiring filmmakers and film companies. What was once just a convenient place to escape the grasp and control of The Trust, became the place to be during the 1920s. Hollywood was thriving with the system it created. The Big Five film companies created movies that made those years the Golden Age of Hollywood. But of course a system that gave the…

Film Adaptations: Romeo and Juliet (1968) and West Side Story (1961) Many films have been created based on novels and play scripts. Plays have transitioned from performances on stage to the big cinema screens. Since many legendary play scripts were created before our century, American film directors had to ask themselves, “How can an older piece of work interest the audience of today?”. Directors found it challenging to express an original piece of work while attempting to interest the minds…

Personal Connections with Chicano Films Chicano films tell stories that explore many topics and issues that mainly pertain to the experience of being a Mexican- American in the United States. However, many Americans of Hispanic descent, whether they are first generation Hispanic- American or even third generation, can identify with many of the themes, topics, and issues seen in these films. Throughout this course, I have watched a number of films that deal with serious, shocking, saddening,…

Sin Nombre followed the stories of Sayra and Willy. Sayra, a young woman travelling with her father and uncle from Honduras to the United States, met Willy along the way, a member of the Mara in Mexico who was in distress because of his relationship with the gang and its youngest protégé, Smiley. As Sayra traveled from Honduras to the United States, the audience discovered the pervasive gang violence in Mexico and the important connection between territory and autonomy. A closer look at the…

Kung Fury starts off with two guys playing in a 1985 Miami arcade. When they get the game over, they insult the machine causing it to spring to life in anger resulting in blowing the two guy’s heads off. The arcade continues to cause mayhem in the city until one police officer calls one man that can get the job done; Kung Fury, a lone wolf kung Fu cop. After Kung Fury deals with the arcade he returns to base his police chief says he needs to get a new partner, TriceriCop. Kung fury refuses and…

property and community is also a great way of combating graffiti as it conveys a message that this is a nice community and the people of this community will pursue legal action for vandalism. This can be seen if we compare Beverly Hills to South Central Los Angeles. One community is littered with graffiti, trash, and gang violence, however in contrast, the other community is extremely well taken care of and has virtually no graffiti. There are countless more solutions to combating and preventing…

You can’t talk about Chicano punk without bringing up East Los Angeles and what was happening in the backyard punk scene. Even within the punk subculture, those from East Los Angeles were alienated by the West LA punks who were predominately white. Only recently has more awareness been given to a community that birthed greats such as the very political Los Illegals (founders of the Club Vex), the socially conscious and all female band The Brat, and the D-I-Y group The Plugz who eventually…

Shawty Lo is an award winning, street rapper known for his counts of hit singles, albums and mixtapes. Rapper Shawty Lo was born Carlos Walker on March 26th, 1976 in Atlanta Georgia. Shawty Lo has been creating music since he was a child, and is considered among today's most talented rappers. He grew up in Bowen Homes projects, one of Atlanta’s poorest neighborhoods. His mother battled with a drug addiction leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. At age 17, she died of cancer leaving him on…

Of all the things Compton is known for, gangs are certainly the most publicized. Compton gangs have been immortalized in movies, songs, and many other mediums. Rappers, actors, athletes, and more all have ties to gangs back in California. The two most well-known gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, have garnered national notoriety for their vicious, and nationwide, feud. These two gangs have been an integral part of the city for decades, shaping the culture and influencing the lives of hundreds…