gunner,you notice that, you area good soul,my friend god bless u, may I ask you something if h are not,don't reply if u are you, can you inbox or just comment and post,thanx
Gunner 249 pain is what turns them to the gang because they dont have a dad or a mother or a family who cares so the turn to the gangs for a so called "family" who only use you and once you did what they want they toss you aside and if you wise up they kill you for not wanting to be a puppet anymore fuck gangs its all sad!!
That's cool because he broke the barrier of a ex gangster that realized that there is positivity in life if you seek it and put in the work to become a normal person in society.He will get blessed for that.
i love watching american me and this documentary. it reminds me of the stories my dad used to tell me about him growing up in boyle heights and going to jail. my dad was never a gang member but he did some stupid shit and learned from it and never looked back. my dad told me that your mistakes neve define you as a person unless you allow them to. just because you grow up in a bad area or your family is all in gangs doesnt mean that you should follow. break the cycle and change!
I left gang life when I found Heavy Metal! Now, I'm in the Army for my 17th year and work part time as an at-risk youth counselor when I am not deployed.
Gil was a fool...I lived around the block from gil....2 ND & Soto....would always see him chase gangsters on his street..Mathews....gil use to represent
AMERICAN ME .... WOW ... IM SO GLAD I MADE IT OUT .. NOW I LOOK BACK AND I KNOW HOW BLESSED I AM TO STILL BE ALIVE .... IM A TOTALLY COMPLETELY PERSON BY THE POWER OF JESUS ...
although I know from personal experience but watching this documentary really showed me how much African Americans and Latinos really do have in common and at the end of the day All Is One
humanism is a commonality in itself...appreciating everyone regardless of race is acceptance...education and history tells the same story of the human race..
Damn man you can tell that these guys felt good and were happy to be apart of something other than violence . You can hear it in there voice deep down they wish they could live a straight life like that especially the guy in prison who said he was framed you can see that he has a lot of pain inside
Man, the kids who ended up victims of circumstances made me very sad. Us Latinos have so much to offer, I see the potential we all have. We're such passionate, loving, thoughtful people, if only the world got to see that more often.
This documentary broke my heart. Made me tear eye. Yeah i work minum wage job , struggle, hungry sometimes but still manage to go to college. Education first. Especially seeing all those young children. :(
Looking at this short documentary made me realize how lucky we have it now here in Boyle Heights/East L.A. In my opinion its way more chill now, sure there's still violence amongst some of the older gangs but the kids growing up around here, including myself, have realized from our older peoples' mistakes that there's more to life than gangs and violence. I respect those that are or were in gangs and wish you the best of luck and hope that you can one day put your life back together.
SayElloToMaLilFre growing up in the 90s wasn't a joke..it was rough..i grew up in Van Nuys and happy to say things are not the same anymore..as im older(41)and have a daughter..im glad and thankful i survived that part of my life.
sergio munoz Chatsworth here in the ‘90’s. Left later on. I go back often, it has changed a lot, the kids have a lot more opportunities now than I ever did, which makes me feel good for them and the future. I have a better life now. Hope you’re well.
I wasn't in gangs personally, but my dad was a gangster and the kids I grew up with became gangsters later down the line. None of them are any of the success they fantasized about today, they're dead beats catching quick bucks and I know a few of them are at least earning an honest wage regardless if it's at a dead end job. To think that a handful of these guys were kids getting honors in school would turn out like this is the probably the part that gets you wondering where their parents or the system went wrong. This whole documentary lays down the line perfectly about how the environment you grow up in and the different events in life that you're exposed to definitely influences how you might turn out. Now, I'm not sure that the movie itself is going to influence kids to stay off gangs since people glorify the acts seen in the movie rather than feel off-put by it, but at least there was hope for the real life members involved in the making to have been affected by it positively.
'When a kid can't imagine his future...' Man that just did it for me. Damn allergies. This documentary just pulls you in and the last lady who died actually broke my heart a little. Did they get too jealous that her time on tv mattered? Did she change a kid's mind about 'the life'? It wasn't worth it...none of their deaths are worth it.
It was a contract hit from prison, scenes of the film were false and pissed off the mob. It wasn’t worth all the people that were killed because of a theatrical Decision but the Mob doesn’t play. Very sad what happened to everyone
Gregory Boyle is a true hero. He does what he does for no other reason than trying to help individuals lead a better life and has never tried to tried to exploit nor judge the gang members he works with. Also, I’m sure he’s not making the type of money we’re he’d be financially well off so it’s a labor of love and he has the type of personality and intelligence to where if he chose to, he could have a job that he’d make a nice income. That type of person is a hero and should be getting publicity instead of all many of the egotistical, untalented malcontents who have millions of people transfixed by their every move.
7:32 killed by members of her older gang, which I read about she showed too much by that I mean, provided information on how the drugs are packaged and sold. So much for being called “familia”. These kids need to learn before it’s too late.
C'mon man instead of causing separation and complaining , make a move and create a movement... Dont get mad bcuz black people aint gonna take the KKKops shyt anymore , Latinos can make a stand as well trust me... 2 movements going into the same direction , they wouldn't be ready trust that!!!
Chicanos got to wake up! Educate the people, our children, our gente with the state we are in and change it, maintain it, explain it, and remain it! Its our time gente see it! Retrieve it and believe it no longer being decieved by the lies that have been made for us to be deceased by it!
That guy dancing in the end can't remember his name he's very well known in east LA and very influential in the barrios of east LA teaching the youngsters how to dance teaching gangmembers to dance instead of fighting eachother.
What saddens me is that none of these gangsters know the real history about gangs. Gangs in the Southwest were started by Hispanics to MOVE AWAY, BREAK AWAY FROM THE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES OF MEXICANS. They weren't' about violence, making money and selling dope; the gangs were about being proud of being Hispanic, proving Euro-Americans wrong, stating "no we are not dirty, poor and uneducated". However, today, Hispanics who join gangs fall deeper and deeper into the stereotype that American society has had about Chicanos for over 100 years!!! If you want change, change the education system, change the history that is being taught. Teach Chicano history at a young age, learn the achievements that have been made, learn the struggle learn what being Chicano is really about. Environment highly dictates whom one turns out to be but education is the most important aspect needed to break the cycle.
@@boridebrooklyn8300 But his "classic" caused alot more blood to be spilled then it saved. Why? Because it glorified the "the life." Intentionally or not, that's the bottom line result.
Love what Gil says at 7:00 about choices and that you don’t have to prove anything to anyone, just yourself.....I hope Gil made it out. Does anyone know what happened to Gil?
Wow just to remember when I was in south central,La when the riots & demonic shit was going on I was 12 back then thankfully I move back to Az at 12 to13 yes of age.wooow!!!
I was 15 years old i saw the Watts riot on TV in 1965 my older brother drove up to compton from wilmas to join the rioters he got some T V es loaded up in his truck its a crazy world we. Live in
I feel scared. Even until this day. I don't know if I'm scared of my own life being taken away without me fulfilling my purpose in life, or if I'm scared to see a kid being dragged and dropped by drug addiction and crime. I want to render my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, and have Him be the covering of protection. To me, and everyone else around me. So Help me God, I will do it. I've taken responsibility without ifs or buts. And, I'm willing to phess up to Chicano rapper with hard work. Raza takes work. A whole lotta work. And, we're up for it. So let's do something. It will take some reading, research and education. Community Colleges can pull it off. All you gotta do is try. Please, try. Maria Hinojosa is a very good example of what you can become. Also, Edward James Olmos.
His name is MC Boulevard. He is a born again Christiam and sings Christian music. I have had the privilege to hear his testimony and see him sing in person. He has a beautiful gift. Look him up on here.
An OG gang member was speaking to me about not being able to get a job and have a normal life. I ask him why you feel that is exactly. He tells me because he keeps going to jail he can’t take care of his kids, his wife left him for some of these reasons also he said. After talking I give him some advice I said “Stop dressing life a gang member as you are now!, stand up straight and kick that stereo type gang looking stand you are doing now!, also cover up the gang tattoos and stop selling drugs, after you stop selling drugs and stop walking, standing, looking like a gang member you will have no need for a weapon. Get a regular job go back to school and in a few years you will be better off!” After I was done, he replied “Get the fuck out of here! I thought you were serious”. You can’t change what is essentially their life.
What you do not understand once you been in the system there is no getting out. It is nearly impossible getting a job if you been in prison. At that if you are hired your employer will use your past against you. So in order to continue living you do what you know. No one is asking you to take responsibly for them or even for help. But if you feel so strongly about that why not look at what can be done for convicted felons, cause remember they can't even vote.
when I was in, many companies when to talk to us about second chanses and geting hire, when I got out I applied to many of them, the answer was cant hire you. a fellony, but one was onest and told,it was like a tax deduction.
ana was not the only one killed 3 others where also killed, the mexican mafia said they lied about the rape part ana dident have a choice to pay it was her life.
That girls death broke my heart in pieces. .. worst part is that her own people did that to her. Over 30 yeara later. My heart is heavy for her xc r.i.p anna
It was BECAUSE of her work in American Me. Listen to actor Danny Trejo (you'd recognize him from the Machete movies, Heat, Blood In Blood Out, etc.), he's done several interviews talking about the problems American Me caused. Edward James Olmos even had a contract out in his head from La Eme, specifically for including the scene in American Me where Santana is raped in juvenile hall because that never happened to the real dude he was based on and La Eme saw that as a major disrespect.
i seen capone in visa ca jail he told me he was came out in this movie so when i go out i seen it again and this time i let it finished for the documentary because it was a vhs movie and it was him he seem down and a cool vato good luck to him
It's a trip to me how big the U.S. is. The world. I was born in Boyle Heights. Raised in South central and BH, And how much attention those parts of the city get. The old homies and family still live out there. It's not always bad like ppl think.
Yeah it's getting really gentrified. There are coffee shops now with hipsters in there. My grandpa lives off of 1st street and soto, and I grew up in Montebello.
Yo the brother rapping has a unique voice and realness to his spits and captures the essence of real hip hop I would like to hear this guy mc blvd make albums of messages and knowledge being dropped on and to our mexican people and kin. Honestly i rap and have for years , i make beats now and can sing a bit but the dude rapping is very talented and has the skill to do something big i see if he pursues it but I want to hear more professionally done songs man where you at mc boulavard drop some shit !! Teach the lil vatos right and let em know the shits real and theres hope and life and succes in anything you choose be it bad or good banging or dancing or acting or making jobs or creating and building new inventions to athletes to whatever we can do it it we pursue it!!!! Viva la raza !! Up you might mexicans you CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WILL!!!!! 💯!
