Residence and Territoriality in Chicano Gangs

Abstract

Researchers have long assumed that gang members live in the territory they defend as their turf. Our research into two Chicano gangs in East Los Angeles show that many do not. We examine the social and cultural factors which bind gang members together and look at the way non-residents join gangs. The widespread pattern of non-resident gang membership reflects the nature of impoverished Chicano settlements in Los Angeles. Our findings suggest that the ecological premises of the old Chicago school of sociologists no longer apply to gangs in modern U.S. cities.