Mexican Migrants in Gangs: A Second-Generation History (From Street Gangs, Migration and Ethnicity, P 49-62, 2008, Frank van Gemert, Dana Peterson, and Inger-Lise Lien, eds. -- See NCJ-225264)

• NCJ Number: 225268
• Author(s): James Diego Vigil
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Using Mexican-American gangs in Los Angeles as an example, this chapter identifies the causes of the general finding among gang researchers that street gangs and groups emerge in the second generation of an immigrant population.

Abstract

The Mexican-American second generation and the gang phenomena associated with that generation reflect the dimensions of “time,” “place,” and “people.” “Time” refers to the chronological developments in the social and economic conditions that are shaped by political forces and historical events. “Place” denotes the regional variation in behavior and material circumstances, as well as how those factors differ in urban, suburban, and rural locales. “People” refers to class, cultural, and racial differences. Each of these dimensions applies to both the host and donor populations involved in the dynamics of immigration. Regarding the “time” factor, early studies of the adaptation experience of Mexican-Americans detailed all the barriers that the Mexican population faced, showing how access to socioeconomic progress was blocked, keeping them isolated and frustrated in their efforts to be accepted in the mainstream culture, thus setting the stage for second generation youth to seek identity and socioeconomic power in gangs and their criminal enterprises. Regarding “place,” during each immigration period, the immigrant group represented different places in Mexico, and recently they have migrated to different places in the United States. Those who settled in poor enclaves such as public housing developments, experienced alienation from educational and employment opportunities, which increased the appeal of gang membership. Variations among “people,”--their class status, cultural attributes, and racial compositions--have also contributed to the risk for gangs; for example, Mexicans who appear more European and/or speak English have had an easier time of gaining access to and identification with Anglo-American culture. 29 references