Always Running La Vida Loca - 807 Words

Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. Analysis By Gillian Husack Introduction Always Running is, essentially, a detailed memoir by Luis Rodriguez. Moreover, the author describes his sordid past as a gang member in Los Angeles during the 1960 s. As a consequence of residing in a gang, Rodriguez became involved in spontaneous acts of violence; for instance, accounts included rape, drug peddling, shootings, and multiple other reasons for arrests. But, the deciding factor that had made him feel the need to finish confessing his atrocities, was only after hearing that his son, Ramiro, had ‘rolled in’ with a local gang. Determined to warn his son of the hazardousness of gang association, Always Running features traumatizing depictions of true events set against the backdrop of the beggar streets of L.A. during the anti-establishment racial occurrence. Plot Development Rodrà ­guez began school at a disadvantage, being unable to speak English, as have many other tykes of Spanish-speaking background. â€Å"In those days there was no way to integrate the non-English-speaking children. So they just made it a crime to speak anything but English. If a Spanish word sneaked out . . . kids were often sent to the office to get swatted or to get detention. Teachers complained that maybe the children were saying bad things about them.† Thus Rodrà ­guez entered the conventional society as a social outcast, uncomfortable in the language of the ruling culture, and compelled to feelShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Luis Rodriguezs La Vida Loca1265 Words   |  6 Pagesbelonging, and protection. Gangbanging is a method gangsters use to get what they desire for instance, they commit violent acts, illegal activities, and terrorizing the community. La Vida Loca is a lifestyle gangsters live by to gangbang, to create havoc, to live life on the edge. Luis Rodriguez, author of â€Å"La Vida Loca: Two Generations of Gang Members†, is writing about his and his son’s gangbanging experiences. Rodriguez migrated from Mexico to Los Angeles at the age of 2, by the age of 12 he hadRead MoreAn Essay on Cause and Effect972 Words   |  4 Pages). (2000).  The Radiant Hour: Versions of Youth in American Culture. Exeter, England: University of Exeter Press. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=112969308 Rodriguez, L. J. (1993).  Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A  (1st ed.). Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Press. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=72501519 Shelden, R., Tracy, S., and Brown, W. (2004). Youth Gangs in American SocietyRead MoreJustice, Masculinity, And Race And Crime Essay1370 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves mistreated because of their race, it actually motivates some of the men to become productive citizens. Another work that I have personally read myself and found to have similar characteristics is Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A by Luis J Rodriguez. Like Punished, Always Running is a book about a young Chicano gang member trying to survive the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles, he has witnessed gang violence, shootings, arrests all at a young age. Before long, the young boyRead MoreThe Psychological Effects Of Adolescent Substance Abuse1469 Words   |  6 Pagessubstance. The issues that alcohol abuse present for an adolescent far outweigh the issues that smoking pot or cigarettes does. I agree with some of the CDC’s suggested methods for curbing youth alcohol abuse. Summary Response: The book â€Å"Always Running: La Vida Loca† begins with Rodriguez recounting where his family came from, and what they used to do. He talks about his childhood and how it was very unstable because of constantly moving. Luis then talks about how he and his friends formed a gang calledRead MoreRacial Segregation Of Chicago And Explosive Gang Related Crime1671 Words   |  7 Pageshave all contributed to a proliferation of gangs in Los Angeles and Chicago. This proliferation has led to gang activities in both Los Angeles and Chicago school systems. Race and ethnicity have played a prominent role in gang violence. In Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., Luis J. Rodriguez discussed how race was a factor in escalating interracial gang violence in the schools he attended. In Sharkey et al.’s research attempting to link homicide proximity and preschool performance, theyRead More Analysis of Los Vendidos and Exploitation of Mexican-Americans2471 W ords   |  10 Pages She quickly makes it apparent that she does not speak Spanish and does not even want to be know as a Chicana. She rejects her own ethnicity, which is one example of how she is a sell-out. In any instance of such widespread oppression there has always been people who attempt to hide or reject their own identity so that they might succeed or better survive in the environment of their oppressors. Many times the oppressed people are taught to feel shameful of their heritage because the racism is soRead MoreSummary Of There Running, La Vida Loca By Luis J. Rodriguez Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pagesseek connection to others. It is a desire so deeply entrenched in all human beings: no one wants to be lonely. Often in society, we are broken up into groups, those who have it all, and those who have nothing and those in the middle. In Always Running, La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez, we hear from an outcast of society, a young man so far removed fr om the opportunity this country promises. Rodriguez spent his formative years living a life of crime, drugs, and sex, completelyRead MoreLos Angeles And Chicago Angeles3155 Words   |  13 Pagesmentioned figures clearly indicate the severity of the gang related activity in the city of Los Angeles and the probability of being the victim of a gang related crime. Gang related association is a way of survival in Los Angeles. In Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez, a former Los Angeles gang member, he eloquently describes his accounts of gang violence based on his own personal experiences. Loyalty is a very important value in the gang culture and RodriguezRead MoreEssay about Gang Violence: Problem on the Rise1896 Words   |  8 Pagesare Mexican, Hispanic, or Latino. Their color to wear or represent is blue, therefore they will carry a blue rag with them most of the time. Tatoos they usually have are â€Å"south side†, the number 13, three dots (each dot stand for one word in â€Å"mi vida loca†), and when they have killed someone they will have a tear drop tattooed on the side of their eye. They will also use a rosary around there neck to show respect for god, but it is also something that represents the sureno gang in general. BloodsRead MoreWhy Juvenile Choose a Gang Lifestyle?1774 Words   |  8 Pagesvocal concerns that he relates to lower class culture. These values are embraced by many in the gang culture and would be a key to discovering why many join gangs but would also give a blue print to ending this vicious cycle. In the book, Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang days in L.A, the author recanted his days on the street as a gang member. The memoir encourages reviewers to think in socioeconomic frameworks, provoking discussions of poverty, unemployment, and other factors that give to the proliferation