May 4, 2007
18th Street Gang
The 18th Street Gang is one of the biggest gangs in Los Angeles County. There membership has been estimated to be around 20,000. Most members in this gang are Mexican and Chicano but they are one of the few gangs that have broken racial boundaries. They allow almost any race to join the gang. (Delaney, 2006) Because of their openness to other races the gang membership grew rapidly. An estimated 60% of the gang is made up of illegal immigrants. ("18th Street Gang", 2007) The 18th Street Gang is also referred to as the Children's Army because they recruit members from very young ages. Members are told that if you leave the gang it will result in death or the death of family members. (Valdez, 2000) Members of the 18th Street gang expanded into other countries such as Mexico, and Canada.(Valdez, 2000) Over the pasted 17 years the gang has moved activity into other states as well. These states include Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada,......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 1068
Approximate Pages: 5 (260 words per double-spaced page) |