"Treat a Cop Like They Are God": Exploring the Relevance and Utility of Funds of Gang Knowledge Among Latino Male Students

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 41
  In Roundtable Session: Critically Examining the Education of Black and Latino Boys and Young Adults

Abstract

One in five Latino males are involved in gangs during their adolescents (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015). Although researchers have examined the rationale for their interactions with deviances from a sociological and criminologist lens, this study explores how funds of gang knowledge are used by Latino male students to navigate their urban school and communities. Findings highlight how graffiti art is valued, how peers share information to survive and prepare for juvenile incarceration, how teachers react to adolescents’ gang knowledge, how to interact with probation officers and law enforcement, and how gang members advance their status in a gang.

Authors

• Adrian H. Huerta, University of Southern California

• Cecilia Rios Aguilar, University of California - Los Angeles