An analysis of identity construction in East Los Angeles Chicano gangs by Karina Schmitt
Munich, 27th of August 2015. The influence of the gangs of East Los Angeles on the life of the community is an undeniable one, in spite of the efforts of law authorities and others to diminish their presence. However, Chicano gangs, as well as the Latino community in general, have been often neglected in social studies.
In her bachelor thesis, Karina Schmitt, using empirical material from sources such as the studies of Theodore Davidson, as well as the theories of James Diego Vigil, performs an analysis of the Chicano gangs of East Los Angeles, focusing on the concept of machismo and its manifestations, tightly linked to the values lying at the core of the Mexican Mafia: unlimited loyalty, bravery, camaraderie, toughness. This analysis is followed by a presentation of the cinematic production Blood In, Blood Out (inspired by the life of Joe „Pegleg“ Morgan), which examines in detail the movie“s plot, setting and characters in light of the concepts presented before.
Managing dysfunction – the appeal of gangs to young Latin Americans
In “ An Analysis of ‚Blood In Blood Out‘. Personal Identity Construction in Gangs (http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/301294/)“, the author argues that young Latin Americans may feel the need to adhere to a second „family“, in the absence of a paternal figure, and to escape the limitations of their dysfunctional natural family in order to become aware of their own potential and value. Chicano gangs provide to the young ones the opportunity to gain a sense of identity, to be part of a family, to act in cohesion with other members, who will come to be regarded as relatives („carnales“), all their acts being carried out in defiance of the legal system (or „white system“). The author illustrates this evolution by using the movie „Blood In, Blood Out“ as example.
The Mexican Mafia is one of the most violent gangs in the US. Legal authorities tend to neglect the requirement for empathy when dealing with delinquency, opting for a direct approach that, however, does not effectively deal with the very nature of gangs and the personal motives of their members. Therefore, a better understanding of the cultural struggles that young Latino immigrants experience in the US could prove vastly beneficial.
The Author
Karina Schmitt is a Senior Student of Spanish and Spanish American Studies of the University of Southern Denmark, with a minor in Philosophy. She currently resides in South Florida and continues her studies of the Latin American community from there. Quoting Damian Chapa, the actor playing the main role in the movie „Blood In, Blood Out“, analyzed in this bachelor thesis: „Karina Schmitt, has one of the most vibrant outside perspectives regarding the Chicano community I have ever seen. (…) She loves our language, our culture, and she cares.“
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This publication is also available as a Spanish version (http://www.grin.com/es/e-book/303438/).
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