This report provides findings and recommendations on youth unemployment that were presented at a public hearing conducted by the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations. First, the report summarizes the testimonies of 20 youth from schools, community based organizations (CBO's), and job training programs who described their difficulties in…

Risk and protective factor indices were developed to examine vulnerability to drug use among Latino high school students. Survey data was collected from 516 Latino 9th and 10th grade youth in the Los Angeles (California) area. Frequency and quantity of use data were collected for a range of drugs including inhalants, cocaine, and other hard drugs.…

A study of 107 low-income, Mexican American adolescents aged 10-13 in Los Angeles found that students' educational and occupational expectations were most strongly related to "social persuasion"--the expectations communicated by parents, teachers, and peers--but were not related to family attainment or neighborhood variables. Educational…

To investigate the extent to which street gangs in Los Angeles (California) are comprised of youth or adults, self-report data from 435 gang members are examined. Findings do not generally support the idea of the aging gang member. Gangs consist primarily of adolescents, regardless of racial and socioeconomic differences. (SLD)

Describes the People United To Enrich the Neighborhood through Education (Puente) Learning Center, a nonprofit center in Los Angeles (California) providing programs in literacy, English-as-a-Second-Language, study skills, job training, and computer skills for people who traditionally have had limited access to education and technology. (SLD)

Minority gangs of the 1980s are examined as groups of juveniles and young adults and as a fraction of the forming underclass. Gangs today no longer disappear as their ethnic groups rises socially. Instead, gangs are becoming institutionalized in the central cities. This discussion of prior research in Los Angeles (California) and more recent…

This autobiographical narrative describes the early life of Luis J. Rodriguez, a journalist and poet who was immersed in the youth gang culture of Los Angeles (California). Framed by the story of the pull of the gang life for the poet's son, it recounts his experiences from his childhood on the United States-Mexico border through his family's…

This handbook provides information about gangs for education professionals working with immigrants. As the introduction makes clear, gangs are one of the many problems that newly arrived immigrants face in their neighborhoods and at school in the United States. Following the introduction, the first section describes the types of gangs including…

Explores the childhood and adolescence of the Hispanic American poet Luis Rodriguez, who grew up in Los Angeles (California) and was involved in gangs with other children of Mexican immigrants. Rodriguez's autobiography is offered so that adolescents, including his own son, may learn from his experience. (SLD)

Examines the history, philosophy, methods, and operations of the Mary McLeod Bethune Institute, an Afrocentric supplementary Saturday elementary school in Los Angeles (California). Qualitative data show the role this enrichment plays in developing socially active and capable African American youth through the study of African American culture and…

This volume presents 13 essays on urban problems in the United States, particularly in Los Angeles (California) following the 1992 riots, and policy options for the future. Part 1 addresses policies of the past three decades; Part 2 looks at children, youth, and families; Part 3 discusses crime and criminal justice; and Part 4 examines public…

A pilot survey was conducted to explore why some young African American men living in cities stay in high school and why others drop out. Between October 1993 and March 1994, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 360 young black men aged 17 to 22, randomly drawn from census tracts in New York (New York), Chicago (Illinois), Los Angeles…

The first paper describes The Los Angeles Free Clinic and its services, which are specifically designed to respond to the needs of low-income and homeless youth within the community. The paper describes a free-of-charge, free-of-judgment comprehensive response system that exists because of collaboration with other health facilities such as…

The primary objective of this study was to determine the most effective of three spelling programs for sixth graders coming from two culturally different and racially distinct areas of a large metropolitan school district. A secondary objective was to examine any differences which might exist between inner-city and suburban children in the…

Describes the Young Inner-City Males Project, a pilot project to provide culturally relevant family life planning services to young minority males in Los Angeles. The project offered goal-directed support to promote sexual responsibility and reduce unwanted pregnancies. (FMW)