| Abstrakt: |
This paper, a chapter of my dissertation project, chronicles how the demographic changes in South Los Angeles have transformed the urban core from a previously African American community, to a mostly Latino area. In this paper, I explore the role of "street justice", which can be thought of as informal set of public norms that guides the behavior of gangs and residents. The paper demonstrates how the underground economy provides alternative forms of income generation for residents. I illustrate the conditions under which Latinos and African Americans work and compete with one another and the roles of race, gangs and territory in shaping exchange in the underground economy. Part I of the paper examines the relationship between African American and Latino gangs and argues that inter-ethnic violence is not the dominant outcome. Part II highlights the relationship between gangs and the neighborhoods they operate within. It is asserted that the underground economy is a primary factor that sustains "street justice." Part III argues that a second type of relationship is common between gangs and communities they operate within South L.A. The central idea is that gangs operate to defend the traditions and sentiments of the native resident's neighborhoods from perceived outsiders. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
