Blog #4

The issue regarding gang violence is also present in this novel. According to the official site of Los Angeles Police Department, “children as young as seven or eight years of age have been recruited to work in criminal street gangs.” This fact proves that anyone can be easily involved in gangs; however, families of gang members are often unaware of the actions their child or relative has already taken. LAPD also provided warnings that will help you determine of a person is involved in any gang activity. Some people might have joined a gang because they simply want other minorities to fear them or they simply want to feel powerful, but most do not realize the consequences of joining a gang. For instance, gang involvement can limit one’s employment opportunities and it can disregard all levels of education a person has received.

Gang involvement is also present in the novel Always Running by Luis Rodriguez. The narrator talks about his life beginning from the time his family decided to move to Los Angeles because his father saw it as a safe haven where they can start a new life. As the story progresses on, he reveals how he got involved in gang activities with his friends and talks about what he had to go through because of that experience. Both of these novels emphasize the real danger of gang involvement as well as the aftermath of being in a gang.