ABSTRACT

Gangs have become an important social issue in Canada. Indeed, a recent survey indicates that over 70 per cent of Canadians feel that street gangs are a serious or very serious problem within their community (Wortley and Tanner 2007). Similarly, most Canadian police agencies believe that youth gangs are increasing within their jurisdiction (Chettleburgh 2007). As in Europe, much of the public discussion about gangs has centred on the risks posed by immigration and racial diversifcation. The Canadian media frequently run stories about the proliferation of racial minority gangs within urban areas, and both politicians and police officials frequently lament that foreign ‘gang cultures’ are inconsistent with Canada's traditional values and beliefs (see Henry and Tator 2002). As a result, many Canadians believe that their country's gang problem is largely imported from other countries and concentrated within the ‘non-White’ population (Wortley 2002). 1 This paper begins with a brief review of previous Canadian research to determine whether immigrants and racial minorities are in fact more involved in gang activity than native-born Whites. We then turn to analysis of data from a recent Toronto study to investigate racial differences in reasons for gang involvement. We argue that racial differences in how gang members explain or justify their gang involvement may help account for why some racial groups are more involved in gang activity than others.