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Ed Ramírez, Linden, CA
Street Gang Socialization Socialización de pandillas callejeras
The Origins of Chicano Gangs VII As part of a series that explores the lived experiences of two ex-gang members Dr. Jesse de la Cruz and Dr. Victor Rios, this article will focus on Jesse De La Cruz’ experiences growing up in Woodlake, California and the concept of Chicano youth socialization to street gang subculture.
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his part of Jesse De La Cruz’ story began in the small rural agricultural Central California community of Woodlake in 1958. Jesse’s
street gang involvement was to a large degree the result of the values, beliefs and behaviors learned from two individuals known by their monikers, “Pato” and “Big Indio,” who were steeped in street gang subculture. The teaching and learning or socialization that Jesse received from them would determine the course of his life for more than three decades. When Jesse’s family moved into the Mexican barrio in Woodlake he met a group of boys, Popper, Claw, Chris, Junior, Jackie and Palio. They were a little older, but they became close friends. Even with a polio stricken leg and pronounced limp, which were not corrected with surgery until age fifteen, he developed a reputation among his peers. He became dominant among the kids in the barrio his age and was seen as a leader by the “older guys.” Jesse’s street gang socialization began with a twenty year old vato loco named Pato. After refusing to go to work with his father when he was twelve years old, Jesse began to hang out on the streets and was approached by Pato who recognized him as a leader of the younger guys. Jesse was impressed with the way Pato carried himself “as if he owned the world.” Pato offered Jesse “Red Mountain” wine, and he got drunk barely making it home. The alcohol “temporarily extinguished the anger” constantly stirring within him. After that
night, he tried to hang out at the park with Pato and the vato locos every chance that he could, and he drank and started smoking marijuana on the weekends. His parents were too busy working to notice, and when his mother finally confronted him for hanging out with “hoodlums” it was too late. Pato would spend hours teaching Jesse “how to represent the neighborhood” and on how to live La Vida Loca. Pato’s rules included: “stand up for the barrio no matter what; never leave the homeboys in the face of danger;” respect your elders; and, never steal in the neighborhood. About a year later, Jesse was inducted into the next stage of street gang life when two “normal” guys from the barrio were beat up badly in neighboring Visalia. In defense of their barrio, Pato organized a retaliatory strike in Visalia and invited Jesse to go along. They drove to Visalia in a 1941 Chevy, and upon arriving at “Court and Vine,” Pato put a .22 caliber rifle in Jesse’s hands. Jesse pointed the gun at a group standing around a 50 gallon drum with a huge fire trying to stay warm in the winter fog. He closed his eyes and fired, and when he opened his eyes he saw guys dropping to the ground. He felt empowered and “continued to blast as fast as he could.” Two of the Visalia guys were hit, didn’t die, but were “critically hurt.” Later Pato got word that Visalia was going to retaliate, and they did. They shot and killed Manuel —one of continued on next page
ira” que se agitaba constantemente dentro de él. Después de esa noche, trató de pasar el rato en el parque con Pato y los vato locos cada vez que pudo, y bebió y comenzó a fumar marihuana los fines de semana. Sus padres estaban demasiado ocupados trabajando para darse cuenta, y cuando su madre finalmente lo confrontó por salir con “matones”, ya era demasiado tarde. Pato pasaba horas enseñándole a Jesse “cómo representar al vecindario” y cómo vivir La Vida Loca. Las reglas de Pato incluían: “defender al barrio pase
lo que pase; nunca abandones a los homeboys frente a un peligro”; respeta a tus mayores; y nunca robes en el vecindario. Aproximadamente un año después, Jesse fue incluido en la siguiente etapa de la vida de las pandillas callejeras cuando dos tipos “normales” del barrio fueron golpeados brutalmente en la vecina Visalia. En defensa de su barrio, Pato organizó una incursión de represalia en Visalia e invitó a Jesse a acompañarlo. Condujeron a Visalia en un Chevy de 1941 y, al llegar a “Court and Vine”, Pato puso un continúa a la vuelta rifle calibre 22 en las OCTOBER 2020 Joaquín 7
