Chicago Gangs
“Chicago is a gang city: from the immigrant gangs and their racist social athletic clubs, to the early African American and Mexican gangs; to Al Capone and the corruption of the Democratic machine; to the youth gangs of the forties and fifties; to the "super-gangs" who organized in the sixties on the streets and behind bars and are still here (and there). Chicago's gangs have institutionalized. They are a permanent part of the city, its history, and its future.”(UIC.edu)
With a lack of remodels to follow and the gang population in the city, kids turn to gangs for the attention, respect and camaraderie that an everyday child/adolescent needs when growing up.
With a lack of remodels to follow and the gang population in the city, kids turn to gangs for the attention, respect and camaraderie that an everyday child/adolescent needs when growing up.
The Gangs which populate the city of Chicago are numerous, totaling 106.
Some of the different gangs are as follows:
People Nation Sets
Black P-Stone
Latin Kings
Vicelords
Spanish Lords
El Rukns Bishops
Gaylords
Latin Counts
Kents
Folk Nation Sets
Black Gangster Disciples
Black Disciples
Gangster Disciples
La Raza
Cobras
Eagles Latin Disciples
Maniac Latin Disciples
Simon City Royals
Spanish Gangsters
Two Sixers
(Chicagogangs.org)
Connection to Holler If You Hear Me
"People just don't know
that we are not all gangbangers and drugdealers
We are all people too
We did not all cross the border
for some of us the border crossed us
We don't always go looking for trouble
trouble sometimes comes to us
So you can't say you know me
'cause you don't
You don't know where I'm coming from
and you don't know where I'm going"
-Julio, 14
~A quote from Holler if You Hear Me
that we are not all gangbangers and drugdealers
We are all people too
We did not all cross the border
for some of us the border crossed us
We don't always go looking for trouble
trouble sometimes comes to us
So you can't say you know me
'cause you don't
You don't know where I'm coming from
and you don't know where I'm going"
-Julio, 14
~A quote from Holler if You Hear Me
In Michie's book Holler If You Hear Me, he mentions how gang bangers are still kids. They may seem tough on the outside, but their inside is as soft as any other child. They need someone to have faith in them. They want to be accepted by society. They need someone to believe, someone to help turn their lives around.
This video above showcases the use of gang symbols, gatherings and weapons associated with the consequences of jail, in this case we observe some members' mugshots.
The video above from FOX News gives us a glimpse into how violent gangs can be, what they are capable of, and how associating with them can lead to the demise of many students bright futures. Even if students are not associated with gangs, the prevalence of these harmful groups is damaging to our city's youth, families and neighborhoods.
