I was born and Raised in beautiful Southern California. Sunny summers, beautiful women, and lots of great places to see. The beaches are especially nice because the weather is always good. Even in the winter, people in California wear t shirts and flip flops. Hollywood is a ginormous tourist attraction. People all over the world love and visit sunny California. But on tv and movies, they dont show you the real Southern California. In small neighborhoods across Los Angeles, and in the suburbs, is a force to be reckoned with. For decades
gang members have lived here and protected their territories with fury. You ask why? It started back in the late 1880's, the city of Los Angeles was a small town compared to what it is today. A few buildings here and there. Some Mexicans who have lived in the region before the U.S. took over California stayed. Natives of the state of California were once Mexicans, now they are in a whole new country with out moving an inch. Those same people were being attacked by white settlers new to California. The white man saw these Mexicans with anger after the war and all, whites had hostility against the natives. So what do you do when you get attacked for being another race besides white? You unite. That is what the natives did. They would gather in small groups to deter attacks. Mostly the younger men would patrol the neighborhoods at night, and keep their families safe from attackers. Now the natives saw the danger whites posed to them and made unions for small neighborhoods. Those were the first gangs in Los Angeles California.
City of Gardena 1900's
interesting fact: Did you know during the 1920's and 1930's the Los Angele Police Department was reported to be the most corrupt in the United States. Police were often apprehended and let go, bribes, racketeering, and blackmail was part of LAPD's service
First Southern California Gangs
The main concept behind Mexican gangs was to protect each others families from outsiders, but that all changed fast. Soon gangs realized they needed revenue for guns and ammo, so they tapped into the illegal drug market. Marijuana was first used by the campesinos (migrant farm workers) after a long hard day in the fields. They would get home, light up, and rest for another day in the fields. After African Americans began heavily using it, the majority of the population which was white voted to ban it because it was gaining too much popularity in young white kids.
This is how they began to move Marijuana in the black market.
In no time Mexican gangs realized their full potential. Rivalries were formed with other small gangs across L.A. Back then drive by shooting were unheard of. In those times if rival gangs had a disagreement they would roll up their sleeves and fight it out. A black eye and a bloody lip would be like a battle scar to show. That was it, after the fight everything was settled.
Pachucos
As time went on so did the style and charisma of the glorified gangster. Zoot Suits were in and looked stunning draped down like a set of new curtains. Pachucos had their own style and everyone wanted to be a pachuco. The hair, the suits, hanging chains, and cars were attractive to the younger Mexican population. Gangs of Zoot Suiters were everywhere. White people called them troublemakers and wetbacks, not everyone was pleased with the new style Mexicans had brought out because it was getting popular. Soon after Blacks and White kids were following the trend.
Zoot Suit Riots
The Zoot Suit riots began in Los Angeles May 31, 1943. It all started when a group of Pachucos were hanging out in Downtown L.A. Wearing a Zoot Suit was seen as a disrespect because at the time the U.S. was at war. This brought many servicemen to the port in Los Angeles and groups of young Marines hung out at the same places the Zoot Suiters did. A confrontation started between the Sailors and Zoot Suiters, and in the melee a serviceman was stabbed causing a massive loss of blood. That is when servicemen gathered to attack anyone wearing a Zoot Suit. No matter if you were Mexican, Phillipino, or Black. Many Mexican Zoot Suiters and just Mexicans in general were being gathered, arrested, and sent to state prisons all over California. Doing this gave the Mexicans leverage against other ethnic groups making it a majority.
interesting fact: Did you know El Monte High School's mascot was the...Lion. In homage to Gay's Lion Farm which was open to the public from 1919 to 1942 and housed the MGM Grand Lion and other Lions used for Tarzan movies. After it closed the city put the high school next to it and to preserve its historic value. Gay's Lion Farm housed over 100 African Lions.
1920 El Monte California
In the city of El Monte, California hides a dark force. One of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County, El Monte has an extensive gang history. It started the same was it started everywhere else, for protection. We are going way back to unveil the name of El Monte's most notorious gang, Monte Flores.
Back in the early 1920's a rich land owner who had a giant flower and plant nursery began his business in El Monte. He made his property lush with beautiful flowers and people began to recognize the area for it's wonderous sights. Back then it was known as "the garden city of the valley". Bringing much attention to El Monte was good and bad. Bad because people who wanted to see the flowers often saw Mexicans working those same fields. Racism started to fuel the fire that still burns today. Those same Mexican field workers were lynched and attacked for simply being another color besides white. In El Monte Mexican field workers were not allowed to drink out of the same fountain or sit next to a white man. Taking all this into consideration the Mexicans started one of the oldest gangs in the Valley, El Monte Flores. Flores comes from the flowers in the fields, but Flores (flowers) was not meant to capture the beauty in the name, it was the Mexican death flower you could look at but not touch or be faced with certain death. Today El Monte Flores is a heavyweight in prisons across the U.S. and is a big influence in the Mexican Mafia.
interesting fact: Calo is the spanish dialect used by Mexican Americans in Southern California
Todays Gangs
Today gangs are much more violent and widespread than ever. Gang territories have reached beyond borders and nationalities. What started here in Southern California has spread like wildfire. Gangs control the illegal everything trade. Mexican gangs control the streets of Southern California and from inside California's penitentiaries come the orders. Roughly 500 street gangs answer the La eMe, The Mexican Mafia. If a street gang tags 13 or x3 or trece behind the street gang name, then it belongs to La eMe. It's not the number that identifies the connection it's the number of the letter. Mexican gangs do not accept blacks or Asians into their ranks.
MS13
The Salvadoranian gang Mara Salvatruchas are another element of the Mexican Mafia. They answer to La eMe and carry out jobs for La eMe. In return the Mexican Mafia protects it's members in prisons across the U.S. but the protection only covers so much. If any member of la eMe gets "out of line" then that is grounds for a "checking" where they discipline a member by beating, stabbing, or killing. Once you become a member of La eMe, you can never quit.Dress and Style
Mexican American gang members have put a chink in the main stream of style. First with the Zoot Suits, and other styles that became main stream.For example the Lowrider in the 70's. It was a Mexican American who wanted to make his car dance and put hydrolic pumps in his trunk connected hoses to them, and made his wheels bounce up and down. Soon fleets of Lowriders and Lowrider car clubs swamped the East Los Angeles area. Now Lowriders are seen all over the world, Japan is a big lowrider car buyer. It ships 1964 Impalas from Los Angeles to buyers who are willing to pay the price. African Americans soon became a big fan of Lowriders and made their own. Mexican Americans have influenced many cultures and people. Most people watch music videos and swear that Lowriders were a creation not of Mexican design. Nike Cortez, Dickies Khaki pants and a white muscle shirt is the preferred attire. Shaved heads also are a part of the gangster.
Blacks Emulate Mexican Americans
Throughout the years Mexicans have always lived, had their children and made a life in California since before it was a part of the U.S. Blacks moved into areas that were predominantly Mexican and therefore adapted and adopted the Marijuana smoking, the gang mentality and the style of Mexican Americans in L.A..
They tattootheir bodies to identify themselves with gang related tattoos like the Mexican gang member. By glamorizing this style they have made it main stream.
dr. dre : let me ride shows how blacks in Los Angeles have adopted the Mexican American lifestyle
interesting fact: In 2004-2005 Ciara released the Goodies album. In the song "Oh" she mentions "white T's and Nike's" a Mexican American style that has been around Southern California for more then 6 decades.
