ABSTRACT
The Mexican-American gang in San Diego pivots around a cholo lifestyle. This style and the attending behaviours help provide a clearer picture of how the situations that come to create and define the cholo are constructed and maintained. Mexican-American gangs have a number of characteristics in common with other gangs, and this chapter examines both the uniquely Mexican-American-style gang and typical elements of the Mexican-American gangs. For most of the Mexican-American gangs in San Diego, their barrio or some feature of the barrio is part of their gang name. In San Diego, there are occasions when nonadjacent Mexican-American gangs will fight. From about 1989 to 1991, there emerged an intergang, interethnic conflict between one Mexican-American gang and a Southeast Asian gang. The orientation of Mexican-American gangs is one of action, status, and kicking back. The action is achieved through risk-taking activities such as gangbanging and drive-bys.
