Historically, when a new immigrant population arrived in this country, ethnic gangs were formed. Racism played an early and important role in the formation of street gangs in California. The Mexicans who immigrated to California in the twentieth century were looked upon as a source of unskilled cheap labor. Because of the racist views of the Caucasian population, Mexicans settled in their own neighborhoods or barrios. As more Mexicans migrated to the U.S. they preferred to live in a neighborhood where their language was spoken and their customs practiced. The competition for jobs between the immigrant population and the native Californians led to rivalry between the groups. This demographic situation led to the formation of Hispanic street gangs. The same set of circumstances has led to the formation of street gangs of African and Asian ancestry. The ethnic background of street gangs is extremely diverse. (Jackson 10)
Early in this century, most cities in the Eastern......
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