Black Street Gangs in Los Angeles: A History
( excerpts from Territoriality Among African American Street Gangs in Los Angeles by Alex Alonso, PhD Candidate . In Los Angeles and other urban areas in the United States, the formation of street gangs increased at a n alarming pace throughout the 1980s and 1990s . The Bloods and the Crips, the most well-known gangs of Los Angeles, are predominately African American [1] and they have steadily increased in number since their beginnings in 1969. In addition, there are approximately 600 Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles County with a growing Asian gang population numbering approximately 20,000 members. Surprisingly, little has been written about the historical background of black gangs in Los Angeles (LA). Literature and firsthand interviews with Los Angeles residents seem to point to three significant periods relevant to the development of the contemporary black gangs. The first period, which followed WWII and significant black migrati
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