ABSTRACT
African-American gangs in San Diego are divided into two major groups: the Crips and Pirus. The African-American gangs coexist in the same territory with many of the Mexican-American gangs. African-Americans in Mexican-American gangs took on a decidedly cholo style including dress, street names, speech, and barrio affinity. The ties among African-American gang members are very strong, characterized as Gemeinschaft, and their animosity against their rivals—Crips or Bloods—is very emotional. The gang connection with more organized crime elements may presume some kind of more formal gang organization in African-American gangs. The way the organization worked as a drug-dealing and profit-making gang rested very much on the neighborhood ties and common background of the gang members. Like the Mexican-American gangs, African-American gangs do not spend the majority of their time gangbanging. The business orientation of African-American gangs has led to stricter sanctions against the use of heavy drugs and gang warfare over contested sales territories.
