East Side Stories: Gang Life in East L.A.

East Side Stories: Gang Life in East L.A.
by Joseph Rodriguez, Ruben Martinez, Luis J. Rodriguez

East Side Stories: Gang Life in East L.A.
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Book Summary Information

Author: Joseph Rodriguez, Luis J. Rodriguez, Ruben Martinez
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-08-31
ISBN: 1576870723
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: powerHouse Books

Book Reviews of East Side Stories: Gang Life in East L.A.

Book Review: a good book but i wish it had more....
Summary: 4 Stars

i read the book in about 2 days. most of it is pictures, which is what i like to see in gang books since you do not see alot of pics in gang books... i think the book could have had more stories from the members in the book..but then again in the book the members did request certain things to not be said or photgraphed. the book is short... lots of pics. the author said he mostly wanted to center on the family and what they go thru... which when i bought the book, i wanted to hear more about the members and what they go thru instead of the family. it's pretty self explanatory what a family will go thru if their kid is involved in anything bad...

the author also complains about in his book how he pretty much refused to take pics of violence or the members showing some guns or other things. he said for some reason violence sells... he wanted to photograph a diff side of the culture i guess, the non-violent side... as a reader of these books, i do like to see some of the violent stuff since like i said, there is hardly any pics in these kind of books... i'm not saying i want to see a photo of a crime in action, but i like to see the members, the tattoos... match a face to the name in the book.. which in this book, you can do sometimes...

it's gets the 4 stars cuase of some of things i pointed out that i didn't like... but it's a good read...

Summary of East Side Stories: Gang Life in East L.A.

In his interview, Luis Rodríguez explains that the demonization and false glorification of gang life has done much disservice to the termination of gang activity, activity which he defines as "90% boredom." What's the key to reducing gang violence and improving inner-city lives? To the dissolution of jail time as a right of passage? Part of the solution lies in providing better education, in teachers able to tap into and help direct the overlooked creativity of inner-city communities. A great responsibility lies, as well, in a national understanding and support for communities bound by poverty, and in encouraging people to work together to help people work for themselves.
We've heard about drive-by shootings and territorial battles in the news. "East Side Stories" brings the code, the lives, the words, and the hope of actual gang members to light in this stunning collection of essays, photographs, and an interview of ex-gang member Luis Rodriguez, now the author of five books and the recipient of several major awards. The labyrinthine rules and codes of gang life are examined and explained, while intimate photographs of "gang bangers" in their homes and with their families put a human face on what is, for many of us, just another story in the afternoon newspaper.

Luis Rodriguez explains in his interview that the demonization and false glorification of gang life has done much disservice to the termination of gang activity, activity which he defines as "90% boredom." What's the key to reduction of gang violence and improvement of inner-city lives, to the dissolution of prisons as a right of passage? Part of the solution lies in providing better education by informed and supportive teachers who are able to tap into the overlooked creativity in inner-city communities. And a great part lies in nationally understanding and supporting communities bound by poverty, and encouraging people to work together to help people work for themselves.

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