True Colors- Gang Edition

Crips

Xindi

Gangs and gang members, along with types of clothing and tattoos, have traditionally worn colors as a means of identifying themselves and the gang with which they are affiliated.  Many non-gang members, who innocently wore a gangs colors in the wrong place at the wrong time have been assaulted and even killed.

The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African-American gang. Crips were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams. The Crips are one of the largest and most violent associations of street gangs in the United States.

The gang is known for its gang members' use of the color blue in their clothing. However, this practice has waned due to police crackdowns on gang members. 

http://www.coolchaser.com/graphics/tag/crips%20in%20blue%20graphics

Why do the Crips wear blue?

One reason Crips wear blue is cause most of the original members went to Washington High School in South LA & one of their school colors is blue. Another reason is cause one of the original members used to wear a blue bandanna on the left side of his back pocket as a fashion statement and when he died the Crips continued the trait in honor of him.

http://sneakanddestroyblog.com/2010/11/30/top-ten-tuesd













                                                                           BLOODS BY AUSTIN CRISS

Bloods were created to eliminate the crips. They were founded in the 70's, the first blood gand was PIRU BLOODS. They reside on piru street in East LA. Bloods wear red as their primary color. There are hundreds of different blood sets in Los Angeles and all over the U.S. Some fight against each other which doesnt make sense to me. Back in the 90s they were very bright about it, very loud in wearing red. They wear red bandanas on the right side and crips wear blue bandanas on their left side. Now today Bloods are very descrete, they will wear all types of colors to blend in with the people so cops wont harass them. They also have certain blood handshakes and signs to disrespect other gangs. I wear alot of red myself because thats my favorite color, and back in highschool i used to get "pressed" alot because people would think im a gangbanger cause i used to wear red hats, shirts and shoes. Alot of the blood community stays in a place called "the jungle" on rodeo and washington off of Crenshaw Blvd. Thats all blood terrority kind of like their headquarters in a sense. Alot of killings between crips and bloods have occured, and still is going on today but with the mexican gangs and MS-13  some crip and blood sets have teamed up together to fight the mexicans.ays/

Grape Street Watts Crips

http://www.blingcheese.com/image/code/133/crip+gang.htm

The Grape Street Watts Crips is a street gang from the Watts section of Los Angeles, California. There are many ways to identify certain gang. We can identify them with their gang color; what color do they wear, or by tattoo; each drawing symbolized different gang. Like many other gangs the Grape Street Watts Crips also symbolize them self with purple color instead of blue like normal Crips are. 

Why the Grape Street Watts Crips wear purple?

http://www.rapdict.org/Grape_Street_Watts_Crips

They wear purple to signify Grape Street, a north-south street in Watts and 103rd in the heart of their neighborhood. They occupy the Jordan Downs Public Housing and most residents attend Jordan High School which is located adjacent to the public housing. Nowadays, they are hiding their identity by wearing the purple bandana so they can avoid the police. 

-E.I.J-

Latin Kings

By Jovanna Reyes

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/new-york/latin-kings-street-gang-makes-park-slope-junior-180043485.html

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2gwfes0&s=3

In the reading, True Colors, the author describes the way that gangs use color to identify themselves from others of the same, or a different gang. Most importantly the author talked about how the gangs are now acting more subtle when dressing for their color or to show they are from a certain gang. The Latin Kings, for example, wear yellow and black beads to show they are one of the members. Now, instead of wearing the beads on their neck, they are keeping them in their pocket, hidden from the outside world until they are needed. One of the trends that will never go out of style for this gang, according to the reading, is the three circle dots that is tattooed on the gang members representing la vida loca. 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQjXDTj9keS90dE0FIDiGWuGZi1w-o49ir3rQEWPuzT_2EDJOGtJt0KosVdjJldiSZ1N79Qh1GPB7RojR83kn1dwwl0CTQOfbMaZGEq0YYzBEhybZU8zZuh6mjRgqJHi0HqLCRLeFnLE/s1600/K-9.JPG

What I thought was really interesting is that younger kids that impersonate these gangs are following the members, but in the opposite way. Since gang members are now trying to be more subtle in what gang they represent, more and more kids are dressing in the gang style to show more than anything that they are part of the gang, even when they are not. They are getting tattoos that one would get when they have been initiate into the gang, even though they aren't part of it yet. Another thing that I thought was rather funny was these kids saying they are Black Gangster Disciples, when they are white boys. How ironic.