Urban adaptation among Mexican Americans resulting in the rise of youth street gangs is assessed in this article within a framework that examines the adaptation's ecological, economic, cultural, and psychological aspects. It is argued that difficulties in changing to Anglo-American patterns have been exacerbated by living and working conditions…

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…

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)