Community Dynamics and the Rise of Street Gangs in the Latino Community

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Community Dynamics and the Rise of Street Gangs in the Latino Community
The forces that shape the type of youth behaviors which have been seen to cause urban street gangs have led researchers in different paths to unravel the question mostly in the context of adaptation of immigrants to the city. There have been developments which examine the urban gangs from physiological and social groups (D. Vigil). Street gangs in the 70s was popularly associated with the white enclaves and typically fists and sticks and knives were used but in recent years the street gangs is largely composed of ethnic groups especially the African American and Latinos using short guns at vehicles of aggression acts in cities. Gang are commonly made up of adolescents and youths who have grown up together as children specifically as cohorts in low income neighborhoods of the city where 10% of youth join street gangs (J. D. Vigil). The distinction between the periods of 1970 and after is labeled as industrial and post industrial where the post industrial period has witnessed more violence because of such factors as the adaption of economic functions by some urban gangs, regulation of illegal business through use of violence firearms proliferation and the effect of mainstream cultural values of money and success of youth groups with limited opportunities (Ruble & Turner). This research is aimed at establishing why transformations occur within a short period of time and the social economic factors that contribute to formation of street gangs in the Latino community.
The roots of street gangs in the Latino community can be traced from the patterns of settlements of immigrants who had to follow the ill prepared city for their integration. The Latin community was forced to isolation in the physically substandard neighborhoods resulted to a series of repercussions such as the social distancing that made Latin community to have a feeling of inferiority and marginal (D. Vigil). Children from immigrant families had to start off socially and psychologically marginalized as the convectional socialization was not available to them (D. Vigil). The ecological and social economic factors were prominent in the segregation and isolation of Latin families and thus, the rate and direction of acculturation were undermined by these conditions. The emergence of street youth population due to the strains and pressure was because of mal-adaptation evolving into a gang subculture. The changes are attributed to the large scale of immigration of Latin community and the emergence of second generation of Latin American youths ensued. The youth street gangs started as innocuously as loose assemblages of wayward children solidified evolving within a span of short period into formal gangs who are destructive, violent bent to their routine and rhythms. The development of early street gangs is a reminiscent of later decades regarding the shanty towns which immigrants enclave in various Latin American nation. This has also led to similar city gangs in Latin America states (Ruble and Turner). The migration of more rural migrants into the city has witnessed street gangs to be a national phenomenon.
The rapid industrial and technological changes resulted in urban planning unable to cope with the growing population, and hence, the occurrence of makeshift and uneven integration of Latin immigrant communities and their families. The process of adaptation was difficult as immigrants were poor coming from urban background and fit into familiar devalued stereotype Indian-looking Latin workers (J. D. Vigil). Therefore, the community dynamics which were responsible in the generation of street gangs from the racism way towards Latin segregation and isolation in virtually all sectors of society.
The process of urbanization was affected by the rapid and uneven changes most specifically on Latin community which had to work, live, and raise their families (J. D. Vigil). In addition, they gained access and exposure to, and identification with the dominant agro-American culture and institutions. The unfolded changes tended to marginalize the Latinos, and therefore, any level of integration and adjustments and adaptation to the US was a mainstream consideration. Many youth had to spend most of their time in the streets as traditional institutions with respect to social control had been undermined, rather than being in school. The socialization was due to the presence of many neighborhood youths in the street which affected about 10% of children who formed street gangs (D. Vigil).
There were a number of issues that the Latin immigrants contributed with regard to the ecological aspect. Inadequate infrastructure and lack of public institutions resulted to a long term geo-social imprint in the lives of Latin community (D. Vigil). The low wages necessitated the settlement in area where the land and rent rates were low leading to enclaves of neighborhoods where the migrants were forced to settle. The Latin community was gravitated to communities which reflected their own custom as the effect to culture shock enhanced a sense of community and security (J. D. Vigil). This choice was reinforced by the hostile environment the Latin immigrants received from host cultural groups, as discrimination resulted to the Latin community to congregate in areas separate from the dominant community.
Research has achieved the understanding of the ways in which urban structures and the process of urbanization has contributed to the emergence of distinct segments of the city. Studies indicate that the Latin immigrants settled in neglected and inferior locations which were bypassed by developments of the city. The locations were subsequently developed with poor planning of the streets and limited public services (Ruble and Turner). The outcome of these interstices was marginal area of the city where social problems and disorganization originated and expanded (Ruble and Turner). The poor racial ...