El Salvador “The Culture of gangs” By:Ingrid Cantu

El Salvador

A little bit of history To give an idea of the reasons of the gang crisis, we can link the poor socio economic status of its people in El Salvador. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. Surround by Honduras to the northeast and Nicaragua to the southeast. Population is 6.2 million The religion that prospers is Christianity. It’s type of government is republic It’s people are 90% mixed Amerindian and white, 1% indigenous Amerindian, and 9% are White.

The economy and the effects on it’s people! Due to the earthquakes,the most recent February 2001, most of the infrastructure and services were destroyed. Unemployment rose, and people found it difficult to find jobs. Everything is quite expensive, and to make matters worse they had changed the currency to US dollars. This is a huge deal, for everything is sold by dollars, while the people are still earning colons. The cost of living is very high, and there cannot establish a minimum wage.

Education affects gang culture The public education system is very poor, the lack of money for school resources is minimal. Children cannot learn without proper resources, such as text books and a comfortable class setting. The best University in El Salvador is UCA ( Universidad CentroAmericana), and only those who have parents wealthy enough to pay such a education are likely to attend.

How did this epidemic of gangs begin? It actually started in Los Angeles in the 1980’s, when hundreds of thousands of Salvadorians left frantically to America due to the brutal civil war they so wished to escape. Young children banded together and started a gang of defense-MS (Mara Salvatrucha) Around 1992, there was the signing of a peace accord and the US deported most of the immigrants. Those youth returned to El Salvador, along with their new found gang. There had been an estimated 25,000 members of MS across Central America.

Increasing girls in gangs and their parents’ absence Abandoned children find refuge within gangs, and find their comfort and support. Parents leave illegally to the US to find work and leave their children to a relative. The Barriors in El Salvador can be a war zone for it’s residents. The youth of such barrios in rival gangs kill each other and innocent residents get caught in the violence. Most of the barrios have no running water due to the earthquakes destructions of the waterways, and children must fend for themselves and work around the house.

Girl Gangs forming their own families La Campanera, is a overcrowded suburb in El Salvador were many young abandoned girls live. These girls shared a small home with other girls (13-17 years old) who do not go to school or work. Their parents either are dead or abandoned them due to the war. The economy had also forced 1.5 million Salvadorians to emigrate, usually without their children. Their children are forced to form their own families.

Forming alliances and gaining enemies! Tattooing is a sign of being in a gang in el Salvador, and also anyone with a tattoo is considered to be unemployed. The gang 18 th street and Ms are rival gangs. There is a feud between the two, and that will un- fortunately end with the killing of one another. They kill each other for “honor, territory, and crack.” The gang a youth belongs to depends on the barrio they live in. rival gang graffiti all over each other’s territory. The youngest of the young gang members are the most notorious and dangerous, because they feel like they have something to prove.

Too young and joining Children have dreams of their economic status leads them to think they cannot ever reach them. Children as young as seven join gang in El Salvador. Children are being born into the culture, with young mother being gang members themselves. There are 25,000 gang and maybe twice. With it’s six million people, there are half a million of guns and no jobs.

The victims and lack of opportunity! In El Salvador, One in three people are a victim of violent crime. About 35,000 people since 1992 have been deported form the US, those 40% committing crimes. The deportees were those who brought the LA gang culture to el Salvador. The lack of opportunity for children, and their educations leads to more youth violence. They find identity that they don’t find in their country. No government support and International funding will help dwindle the future of El Salvador’s youth.