Response To Susan Horton's Article "Mothers, Sons, And The Gangs"

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prove that youth join gangs because of "low self-esteem and a
stressful home life. A youth whose friends with gang- members and
experiences peer- pressure to join. A youth with poor academic performance,
a lack of alternatives, lack of positive support, a feeling of helplessness,
and hopelessness, as well as very frightened youth who is intimidated by
the gangs." (Yahoo, Lopez 29) Not all of these aspects are apparent in
gang members but at least one is.
In Teresa Rodriguez's case her son at thirteen unbeknown to her
belonged to the gang Sur 13. Because of his bravado he was shot and the
family home has been victim to shootings ever since. Luckily the bullet
missed his heart and he survived. Still he did not learn his lesson and
claimed that he did not care if he died. Finally his mother threatened to
send him to live in Mexico if he continued to go out. "he does not want
that, so he stays inside." But that has not stopped him from dressing or
acting like a member of the Sur ...

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or discipline. Perhaps he could have
beaten the odds and raised above but it was easier to join them for there
were no reasons why he should beat them.
Maggie Garcia also has a son who is a gang member but her view and
approach to her sons affiliation is very different. Because she was raised
in the same neighborhood as she raises her son in she understands how much
the neighborhood could mean. She states '"Here the neighborhood, it is
family."'(Horton233) She claims to understand the loyalty to the
neigborhood because "her whole life,...is wrapped up ...in it" (horton233)
During school her son gets into a fight with a rival gang member because
each claimed a different neighborhood. ...

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