The Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 is an international gang that was initiated in Los Angeles, California in the 1980s that were Hispanics. Most of the members in the gang is culturally composed of Central Americans. The gang is mostly in the neighborhood where their lives people that are poor or living in poverty. The gang has now stretched towards other areas besides Central America. Some of the areas where MS-13 is affiliated is El Salvador, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Members in MS-13 do things to manipulate individuals that live in a poor neighborhood by bullying, and robbing their way into the area. They also commit other crimes such as human trafficking, and transporting various types of drugs. Majority of areas that the gang has …show more content…
The word Salva refers to El Salvador and trucha means trout (Insight Crime 2017). Once the gang merged with other Latino gang alliance, it created more problems. Although, it allowed the MS-13 to have more protection in jail, or prison. However, in return to Mafia favor on behalf of protection they provided them with hitmen. Once this was implemented that is when they decided to add the number 13 on to their name. The letter M positions the letter of the alphabet to their name and which is also the 13th letter of the alphabet. Also since the members integrated with other gangs have now started committing crimes even inside prison by having others commit the crimes such as kidnapping, car robberies, and other criminal activities. They also carry cell phones inside the prison. Members that is affiliated with MS-13 usually begin as youths. Entry level requirements for MS-13 is usually the individual must get a 13 seconds horrifying beat down. There are different theories and studies that applies to the MS-13. Social structure and social process theory applies to MS-13. Both theories have been justified to determine why people commit crime by using the social structure and social process …show more content…
Social structure theorist believes that the solutions to why criminals commit crime is the neighborhoods they grew up in (Criminology and Justice). All the theories that fall under the social structure theory helps theorist determine why individuals join gangs as well. Significant studies by theorist was researched that the subcultural values affect a person decision (Criminology and Justice). Theorist believe that once a person is bought up in such a deviant environment they feel they have no other way
Mara Salvatrucha is a criminal gang organized in the United States. It is also known as MS-13. Mara Salvatrucha may took its name from "Salvadoran." That name may be also taken from a combination of the words "Salvadoran" and "trucha. " Most of founding members are from El Salvador.
Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions, and up to 90 percent in others, according to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. Perhaps one of the most notorious street gangs in the western hemisphere is The Mara Salvatrucha also known as MS 13. “Mara” is Salvadorian for “Group”, although there is debate over the origin and meaning, it is commonly known to mean “street smart. MS 13 was formed on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980’s by immigrants. “Mara Salvatrucha Stoners” is what MS 13 was originally called, they emphasized on partying, friendship and protecting one another from other gangs in L.A.
The earlier members referred to themselves as MSS-13 Mara Salvatrucha Stoners, the 13 is used to show homage and alliance to the Mexican Mafia (La EMe), an equally notorious prison gang (Forrester, 2017). Much debate is tied to the actual meaning/translation of the gang’s name, but as the gang evolved it removed “Stoners” from the name. The early members of the gang were young El Salvadorian immigrant youths that banded together to protect themselves from other dominant Hispanic and African American gangs in 1980’s Los Angeles. Similarly, to other gangs of the era, the members of Mara Salvatrucha 13 were involved in petty gang violence and minor crimes that were used to fund their drug use and parties. The criminal acts resulted in members of Mara Salvatrucha 13 being sent to juvenile detention centers and/or prison where they interacted with other gang members.
Background Mujeres Unidas is a nonprofit organization based in San Antonio, Texas. This organization is mostly provided by volunteers. Mujeres Unidas goal is to provide education, counseling, and support to local bilingual/bicultural communities affected by HIV/AIDS and other health concerns. Formally known as Mujeres Unidas Contra el SIDA, our organization was founded on World AIDS Day, December 1, 1994, by former Executive Director, Yolanda Rodriguez-Escobar. Her vision was to fill the gaps in services for Latinas living with or directly impacted by HIV/AIDS.
The MS-13 gang, well known as Mara Salvatrucha 13, is one of the most organized and violently dangerous gangs in the United States. The gang was establishes in the 1980, in the predominately Spanish speaking parts of Los Angeles, initially starting off with refuges who were in nature calm and in control. However, some Mexican immigrants began their power guiding and controlling these individuals into an underworld organization, which quickly began to harden the individuals. Once this occurred in the El Salvadorian neighborhoods, the immigrants wanted to organize themselves, so they decided to come up with a name for themselves.
Failure to achieve positive goals. Not having someone support you or care about is what someone the men had went through growing. Joining the gang meant having a family around and one that protect them. Disjunction of expectations and achievements. They didn’t have the skills or the attitude to do anything to achieve their goals because no one had been supported them.
Many teens in prisons are very interested in joining Los Aztecas for their title and their strict recruitment practices and rules. In Juárez the general public knows that Los Aztecas are very dangerous and should not be crossed. Young people find this particularly enticing and want to be a part of such a respected “organization.” In Mexico, Los Aztecas refer to themselves as “Familia Azteca” which directly translates to Azteca family (Burnett, 2009). This demonstrates the sense of togetherness that the gang has towards one another.
The members of this gang are entirely of Mexican-American decent, and it is practically male dominated, with few female members passing along vital information to other members and smuggling contraband into the gang’s prisoners. By operating on a hierarchical system, gang members are aware of who is in charge and where other members rank in the community, much like the United States military layout. The social relations throughout the group and members’ interaction with the public and those outside of the gang is vital in ensuring the group is able to function smoothly, without drawing too much unwanted attention. Despite the obvious challenges that gang members face, La Nuestra Familia has expanded and pushed the boundaries of the prison community as a whole. Without establishing their own social and cultural norms, La Nuestra Familia would not have been so successful at recruiting and maintaining membership in what they may consider to be their very own, exclusive
Sanyika Shakur tells his life story in detail in his book, Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. He tells how he lived from a very young age and survived the gang life in South Central L.A. during the 1960’s and 1970’s, which was during the startup of the Crips. He was born Kody Scott and he was born into a very poor family. He had an absent father and was therefore raised by a single mother. At the very young age of eleven Kody Scott turned his life over to the Crips.
This gang formed in retaliation of the oppression by the Mexican Mafia. All members must Hispanic. The La Nuestra Familia is known for the drug dealing and sex trade in prisons. On the outside, they are contract killers and have various smuggling operations. The process to become part of the gang is extensive and takes about two years to show your loyalty.
Criminology uses many theories to study crime, such as Social bond theory, Control theory social, containment theory etc. Social bond theory includes a various forms of social attachment theories. Attachment is a complicated process starting at birth with a maternal connection. This premature form of joint sets the standard for an individual's future attachments to friends, family members, co-workers and lovers. Control theory suggests a responsibility towards one's behavior.
After being called to come to the United States by his parents, he discusses his interactions with Border Patrol and beginning life in the United States. Some of the he fears he discussed, such as hiding his El Salvadorian nationality to avoid getting picked on, are the same fears my family members have had as being immigrants from Nigeria. However, just as my immigrant family members soon figured out, you cannot hide who you are, so the bullying continued. The feeling of loneliness and alienation that most young immigrants feel when coming to the United States may have been a key factor that encouraged Sanchez to join the MSS13 gang. However, Sanchez did not join MSS13 with the intentions of being a criminal, but with the hopes of feeling accepted and protected.
In California Hispanic gangs began forming in 1920. This started with groups of people looking to be unified with each other. The gang member were “usually the age of 14 to 20” (Rodriguez 5). The crimes that they usually did was burglary, robbery, and vandalism. Hispanic gangs were created to protect wherever the people in the gang came from.
Both MS-13 and 18th Street gang were born in the streets of Los Angeles, California in the 1980s. Salvadoran gang members also known as MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) and Mexican gang members also known as 18th Street (Barrio 18, Mara 18) a subdivision of the Clanton 14 gang which is the oldest Hispanic gang in California. The word "mara" is derived from the marabuntas ants in allusion to how to operate the organization the same way the ant expanded and destroyed everything to find the path. They share the ambition to rapidly expand their organization to other states of the U.S., also in El Salvador, Honduras, Central America and Canada. One similarity is a large percentage of their members are not US citizens that lead to deportation of high numbers of them.
Crime occurs commonly in today’s society, due to this, criminologists are trying to understand what social factors cause crime. To solve this, there are many theories about what causes crime and why crime occurs in certain areas, however this paper only outlines two of them: Structural-Choice theory and Social Disorganization Theory. Structural-Choice Theory and Social Disorganization Theory: A Summary Structural-Choice theory, first proposed by Terance Meithe and Robert Meier in 1990, uses elements from rational-choice theory and opportunity perspectives to analyze the importance of the interaction between the variables. This theory is mostly used to predict victimization through structural and choice variables.