Gangs are not a basic component of any culture. Neither are they intrinsic to race, ethnicity, or nationality. Rather, gangs develop in social groups under specific circumstances. Gangs are not an element of Latino culture, just as they were not inherent to Irish culture in the last century. However, as research shows, gang involvement is a significant problem in the Latino communities of today. The 1998 National Youth Gang Survey revealed that Hispanics/Latinos were the predominant racial/ethnic group among gang members nationwide, accounting for 46 percent of all gang members. This report focuses on the impact of gangs on Latino communities in Minnesota.
Participants
All individuals asked to participate in the report were key informants on gang issues (with the exception of one policymaker). Adults, whose professional lives lead to gang interaction, particularly those involving Latino youth, offer their perspectives. The voices of Latino youth are also included. Our purpose for involving youth in this report was to learn why kids join gangs, what their experiences are, and how others can learn from those experiences.
Approach
This report’s “multiple sector” approach to learning about the impact of Latino youth gang involvement was designed to assess accountability among the various sectors. Most participants, for instance, suggested that the gang issue was “everyone’s problem.” Therefore, if gangs are “everyone’s problem,” then it is crucial that all groups share accurate information and decide together what can be done to reduce the impact of gangs on Latino families and communities. Identifying responsibility and accountability within and across sectors for the many dimensions of the gang problem is also a necessity. Sociologist and gang researcher Mike Carlie10 suggests that an individual’s understanding of the definition of a gang shapes his/her perception of gangs and response to it. He adds that although “gangs are an international, national and local phenomenon […] the best approach to reducing their influence is at the local level.” Through this report, we hope to spur productive dialogue that leads to effective, community-wide strategies to reduce and prevent gang involvement among Minnesota children.
Key Findings
One striking finding of this report was that gangs are part of the everyday life experience of many children. We also found a perception among professionals that those closest to the issue – parents whose children may be threatened by gang involvement – are often unaware of the problem, or unwilling or unable to face it.