Los Angeles

Gangs in Spokane – How bad is it and what can we do about it? In the summer of 1994, I found myself entangled in a lifestyle nobody had seen coming, not even me. I had gone from honor roll student to thug gangster in just a matter of a few months. Life had changed dramatically, from not ever having been in any real trouble, to having multiple run-ins with the law, and an entire police force in the city of Spokane with my picture and vehicle info on their clipboards. I was running with a local…

a) Degradation ceremony/ pg. 200: a term coined by Harold Garfinkel to refer to a ritual whose goal is to remake someone’s self by stripping away that individual’s self- identity and stamping a new identity in its place. Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) is a gang organization that commits its members to identify with the gangs collective mentality and dogma. To achieve gang conformity, MS-13 uses many rites of passage to prove that a prospective member is able to serve in the gang. These degradation…

Eastwood and Harlem, both small neighborhoods in America, are weighed down by the world’s view of them; poor, predominantly black, violent and in need of “help” (Ralph 9). In Renegade Dreams, Ralph tells the story of activists, gang leaders, patients and teenagers while constantly refusing to portray them as victims. He gives us a glimpse into Eastwood, “a community that was battered but far from beaten.” Caught in the bonds of racism and poverty, the Fontenelles appeared Parks’ article A Harlem…

When one hears the term "gang" their thoughts do not generally turn to a group of boys hanging out, but rather a group of adults who have come together with the unified purpose to fight. Whether it be over territory, persons of interest or a disagreement of how a situation should be handled; socially speaking, one would most likely think of notorious groups such as the Bandito 's, MS13 or in this instance the Hells Angels. The first chapter of the Hells Angels is believed to have been started…

The Debut (2000) was a film presenting the positive aspects of the Filipino culture, using the real problems and relatable issues that teenagers face. This film is one of the first films I’ve viewed which portrays an Asian culture as what it truly is. Unlike many other films and scenes in Hollywood cinema, this film did not use negative stereotypes or derogatory topics as its main base. Director Gene Cajayon is from the Filipino agency and grew up in its heritage; this reflects on the films true…

I examined someone that was above 20 years older than I was for answers regarding to what life was back in the person’s generation. The main purpose is to discover any similarities or differences to the person’s culture, attitude and behaviour as he or she grew up compared to the current generation now. The person I examined was my uncle named Terry Chou. I knew Terry back when I was around my teens when my dad introduced me to him during the summer. Terry was visiting Vancouver to meet up with…

Gang violence in America has been a problem for over eight decades. Since as early as the 1900s people of the African American race organized small gangs in the streets to protect their neighborhoods when segregation in America was still a big social and ethical problem. Originally gangs where not organized to be violent and to commit crimes. These smalls crews where founded and established to provide peace and protection to the African American community during the civil rights movement. Even…

In the article “Stealing a Bag of Potato Chips and other Acts of Resistance”, the reader is introduced to a group of fifteen year old Latino gang associated boys who enter a store by the name of Sam’s Liquor Store in a group of four. Although the boys are aware of the store’s strict policy of only two boys allowed in at one time, all four teenagers enter the store and try to make purchases. The reader is introduced to one of the gang members whose name is Flaco, and another one named Mike. As…

“Someday my prince will come” (Caselotti 0:01). Snow White, one of Disney’s original princesses, truly demonstrates Disney’s theme that “Prince Charming” will come and sweep the princess off of her feet, and they will live happily ever after. However, Disney had been criticized over the years for having this same plot in all of their movies. As a result, Disney movies have evolved from the typical Disney Princess being swept off her feet by her “Prince Charming,” to more modern themes. In the…

A giant isn’t just someone that’s been there to provide for you, but a person that has been through a lot but was still able to manage success for them and others. My father is a proven giant of mine based on the theme of the research paper. I consider my father as my giant because what he went through growing up in the inner-city around gang violence, and the ability to move to a better neighborhood to take care of his family when the poverty and unemployment percentage rate was at an increase…