VOL. 1 ISSUE 1
MMM... Seems ANOTHER FAMILY NEEDs MY ASSISTANCE... IT'S TIME TO ACTIVATE MY INTERVENTION PLAN!
CHCADA MAN
STREETMAN
Brought to you by CHCADA Youth Services
Created by James Hernandez, Joe Ynostroza and Sid Burston illustrations by sadastyle international
THE DAY WAS HOT AND DRY.... AND, LIKE ALWAYS, I WAS KICKING IT WITH MY HOMIES Paco, Chuy, Flaco, AND Vato. WE WEREN’T DOING NOTHING WRONG...JUST STANDING AROUND WATCHING THE HONEYS AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE COULD SEE AT 1 O’CLOCK on A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
YEAH, I KNOW, WE SHOULDNA BEEN IN SCHOOL BUT WE WEREN’T. I HAD BEEN SUSPENDED FOR A WHOLE WEEK FOR FIGHTING...
... AND Paco, Chuy, Flaco, AND VatO, WELL, LET’S JUST SAY THAT MIXING SCHOOL AND THEM WAS LIKE TRYING TO MIX UP WATER AND OIL.
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 1
WHEN THEY WERE IN SCHOOL, THE TEACHERS HAD TREATED THEM SO BADLY THAT THEY HAD FINALLY JUST DROPPED OUT.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE TEACHER CALLED Paco Dumb RIGHT TO HIS FACE? NOW IF YOU KNOW MY BOY Paco, Ain’t NOBODY GONNA DISRESPECT HIM LIKE Dat AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
SO Paco STARTED RUMBLING WITH THE TEACHER RIGHT THERE IN THE CLASSROOM.
THEN Chuy AND Jorge GOT ALL IN IT...
...AND OTHER STUDENTS JUMPED IN THE MIX..
... AND THE PO‐PO WAS CALLED. WAS I ever glad wasn’t there ‘CAUSE I’M SURE I’LD haVE Been all up in it.
2 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
SINCE THEN, CHUY AND THEM DON’T GO TO SCHOOL AT ALL. WELL, THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE HOMESCHOOLED, BUT THEIR PARENTS DON’T SPEAK NO ENGLISH.
SO, FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, MY HOMieS DONE GRADUATED FROM SCHOOL TO THE STREETS. SPEAKING OF THE STREETS, HERE COMES STREETMAN.
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 3
STREETMAN DRIVES THIS BIG HUMMER...
DUDE ALWAYS SHARP, ALWAYS GOT A CAR FULL OF HONEYS, AND ALWAYS GOT BENJAMINS IN HIS POCKET.
HEY, Paco, YOU READY TO COME WORK FOR ME?
STREETMAN’S ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING t0 SOME‐ BODY SO HE’S GOT A LOT OF ENEMIES. STREETMAN IS LOOKING BACK AND FORTH TO MAKE SURE NO‐ BODY’S ABOUT TO DO A DRIVE BY ON HIS BEHIND. 4 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
I BEEN READY TO WORK FOR YOU STREETMAN, BUT YOU GOT’S TO COME UP OFF some duckets!
man, YOU BE WANTING A HOMEBOY TO WORK FOR FREE AND I AIN’T ABOUT DOING Nada for Free.
Paco ANSWERS SOFTENING THE BLUNT‐ NESS OF HIS WORDS WITH A BIG SMILE
Paco’S ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WILL DO ANYTHING AT ANYTIME BUT STREETMAN’S es un loco peligroso...
EVERYBODY GETS REAL QUIET.
... SO NOBODY KNOWS WHETHER STREETMAN’S GONNA Cap Paco OR JUST LAUGH AT HIS DARING.
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 5
WE STAND THERE ALL FROZEN FOR A LONG TIME.
STREETMAN KEEPS STARING AT PACO...
... AND PACO KEEPS SMILING AT STREETMAN.
WE SEE STREETMAN’S SOLDIERS QUIETLY MOVING THEIR HANDS TOWARDS THEIR PIECES...
... AND WE START TO REACH FOR OUR PIECES...
BUT PACO’S SLIGHT SHAKE OF HIS HEAD STOPS US.
6 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
FINALLY, STREETMAN SMILES.
THAT’S WHY I LIKE YOU, PACO. YOU AIN’T GOT NO FEAR...
...YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME IF YOU’RE READY TO MAKE SOME REAL MONEY.
HE SIGNALS HIS MEN TO PULL THE CAR AWAY FROM THE CURB.
PACO NODS AND KEEPS SMILING......
WHEN STREETMAN’S OVERSIZED CAR TURNS THE CORNER, WE FINALLY RELAX. ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 7
OYE! PACO, YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?
VATO THINKS HE’S THE BADDEST SHUT‐YOUR‐MOUTH ON THIS SIDE OF MEXICO.
PACO IGNORES HIM AND STARTS RHYMING. PACO AIN’T RELIGIOUS OR NOTHING BUT LATELY HE’S BEEN DOING THIS NEW TYPE OF RHYME CALLED GOSPEL RAP. COME TO THINK OF IT, PACO’S DONE CHANGED A LOT LATELY. HE AIN’T ANGRY AND UPTIGHT AND ALWAYS READY TO FIGHT LIKE HE USED TO BE.
MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE HE’S GOT HIS NEW FRIEND, CHCADA MAN. CHCADA MAN USED TO GANG BANG HIMSELF. BUT THEN HE FOUND GOD OR GOD FOUND HIM OR THEY FOUND EACH OTHER.
8 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
GANG LEGENDS HAVE IT THAT CHCADA MAN RECEIVES SOME TYPE OF POWER FROM GOD AND NOW HE’S OUT TO SAVE HOMIES LIKE ME.
JOSE
NOTHING... NO WEED, NO NOTHING, I TOLD YOU I STOPPED SMOKING...IT STARTED MAKING ME THINK CRAZY THOUGHT.
YO?
YOU TRIPPING AGAIN? IT’S LIKE YOU GO INTO A TRANCE OR SOMETHING? WHAT YOU USING?
YOU THINK CRAZY THOUGHTS ANYWAY. I HEARD YOU TELLING MY SISTER ANGELA, THAT YOU’RE GONNA BE A DOCTOR!
HOW IS A LITTLE POOR MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GOING TO BE A DOCTOR? YOU’D BETTER GET STARTED HUSTLING WITH THE REST OF US!
VATO, NOW LAUGHING EVEN HARDER, PULLS OUT A JOINT AND LIGHTS UP.
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 9
HEY PACO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BUDDY CHCADA MAN,
I TURN AWAY TO LEAVE BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO GET NO CONTACT HIGH FROM BE‐ ING CLOSE TO HIS SMOKE AND I DON’T WANT TO GET ARRESTED EVER AGAIN IN MY LIFE. I MAY STILL HANG WITH THE HOMIES, BUT I GOT PLANS. I WALK A FEW STEPS AND THEN TURN BACK.
DUDE IS REAL COOL. YOU CAN MEET HIM IF YOU LIKE. DUDE GOT PROGRAMS ALL OVER CALIFORNIA FOR HOMIES LIKE YOU AND ME.
WELL, ACTUALLY, THEY RUN PROGRAMS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
Paco always GETS ALL EXCITED WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT HIS PROGRAM.
SO, WHAT Y’ALL BE DOING OVER THERE?
10 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
IT’S REAL COOL. I HAVE A COUNSELOR WHOSE HELPING ME LEARN TO MANAGE MY THOUGHTS AND MY ACTIONS.
HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
WE’LL CHECK Y’ALL LATER
CHUY, VATO Were too BUSY HITTING UP ON LUISA, A NEW chica from Vera Cruz, THAT was Up Visiting her cousin. Ain’t None of them notice we rolled out.
yo Sé! YOU GOING SOFT LIKE ya boy, Paco? Y’ALL WHISPERING TOGETHER LIKE TWO little girls
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 11
Paco Was up in Vato’s face so Fast, i thought He was flying!
ESTÁS LOCO, VERDAD! YOU’RE CRAZY. YOU NEED TO BE LOCKED UP.
Just Then , A LARGE, 15 PASSENGER VAN PULLS UP. IT IS CHCADA MAN.
12 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
Paco, THAT’S NOT HOW WE HANDLE OUR PROBLEMS. REMEMBER WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED.
PACO YOU’RE A WARRIOR. YO! HE CALLED YOU LOCO HOMES. YOU BETTER SHOOT HIM.
I CAN SEE THAT PACO IS CONFUSED. HE FIRST REACHES FOR HIS PIECE TO FOLLOW STREETMAN’S ADVICE. CHCADA MAN WHISPERS,
I SPIN AROUND AND STREETMAN IS STANDING OUTSIDE OF HIS CAR SPEAKING TO Paco WITH A SMIRK SET ON HIS LIPS .
NO?
NO!
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 13
I’M GOING TO GET IN THE VAN AND GO TALK WITH MY COUNSELOR.
Paco THEN PULLS AN OUNCE OF WEED FROM HIS POCKETS...
... WALKS TO THE NEAREST TRASHCAN AND TOSSES IT IN.
I’m Done With the Weed AND Booze AND I’M GOING TO MEET WITH MY COUNSELOR ON A REGULAR BASIS...
14 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
AND I’M GOING TO PREPARE TO GO TO COLLEGE. I DON’T WANT TO WORK FOR YOU STREETMAN, NOT NOW, NOT EVER!
WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT.
HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO KILL MY FRIEND? I DON’T WANT TO HURT ANYBODY
THIS ISN’T OVER, CHCADA MAN. THESE KIDS ARE MINE, DESPITE YOUR PROGRAMS AND YOUR CONSTANT INTERFERENCE SO THAT YOU CAN TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND.
YOU WILL SEE! YOU WILL SEE!
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 15
CHCADA MAN MERELY SMILES.
I CLIMB INTO THE VAN WITH PACO. I WANT TO GET THE HELP I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT STREETMAN AND THOSE LIKE HIM DON’T DESTROY MY LIFE.
CHCADA MAN QUICKLY BACKS UP HIS VAN. STREETMAN FROWNS AND DRIVES BEHIND HIM AND YELLS AT ME AND PAco.
AS WE DRIVE AWAY, I SEE STREETMAN ON AN‐ OTHER CORNER TALKING TO ANOTHER GROUP OF MY HOMIES.
AS WE DRIVE OFF, I WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER ON THE SIDE OF THE VAN (323) 222‐4591, I’M GOING TO TELL ALL OF MY FRIENDS THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY FROM THE STREETMEN OF THE WORLD BY CALLING THIS NUMBER. THEY CAN CALL (323) 222‐4591 AND SAY “I HAVE A PROBLEM. COULD CHCADA MAN COME AND GET ME?”
TO BE CONTINUED... 16 | ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES
Youth and adolescence is a difficult period. Characterized by novelty‐ seeking behavior, exceptional levels of impulsivity, changing social mores, gender role development, and multiple other factors, low‐ income youth can easily find themselves at risk of substance use, mental dysfunction, violence and gangs, early sexual activity, and other behaviors. Moreover, data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, reveal that Latino adolescents in Los Angeles are confronted by risks that are significantly more than those encountered by their Majority counterparts. In this regard, CHCADA maintains a full range of services to address the needs of youth. These services include each program listed below. •
CHCADA operates one of the most effective prevention programs for youth in the County‐the Latino Prevention Network in Orange County, and Hermanos in Los Angeles. Youth and adolescence is a dificult period.
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CHCADA is contracted by the Eastlake Juvenile Drug Court program to provide In‐custody, outpatient, and residential substance abuse services to youth;
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CHCADA also provides services to youth who have been arrested for a crime through the Eastlake Treatment Court in Los Angeles;
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CHCADA operates the only residential treatment facilities for Latino substance abusing boys and girls in the country— the 12 bed Aquilar, and the six bed Paloma;
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CHCADA’s two Work Investment Act programs in Orange County both serve youth;
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CHCADA is also contracted to provide the Adolescent Intervention Treatment Recovery Program in Los Angeles;
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In partnership with the Los Angeles Public Schools, CHCADA operates the Eastlake Academy– a school program for youth receiving residential treatment;
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CHCADA serves children through our various other support programs; and
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CHCADA, through the Solano County Department of Probation, provides pre‐natal and other care to pregnant teens.
ChcaDA MAN VS STREET MAN SERIES | 17
Š California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse