School Matters - Future of Gang-Banging Found on Today's Playgrounds

San Jose's future gang problem lies with elementary and junior high aged youth who are immersed in gang idealism. They are being nurtured in that direction in these formative years, so by the time they hit their teens they will be more hardcore, seasoned even, making most gang-prevention programs useless.

This social dynamic has existed for generations in some San Jose neighborhoods, but is more widespread now, hitting the Latino and Asian communities like wildfire. One of the major contributing factors involves a portion of the newly arrived immigrant population that has assimilated and adopted this gangster lifestyle as its own. Not only do they strongly influence younger family members, but they are now having children of their own, children born into that lifestyle.

Mr. Mendez, a youth counselor at an Eastside junior high, has been working closely with youths for several years. He's seen an increase in gang identification with his incoming sixth graders. He told me, "As far as the Alum Rock School District goes, there is no adequate counseling provided for the elementary-aged youth. So by the time they get to us, a lot of them have been gang-influenced."

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