What do you think?
Rate this book
Gangs of the El Paso–Juárez Borderland: A History
This thought-provoking book examines gang history in the region encompassing West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and Northern Chihuahua, Mexico. Known as the El Paso-Juárez borderland region, the area contains more than three million people spanning 130 miles from east to west. From the badlands--the historically notorious eastern Valle de Juárez--to the Puerto Palomas port of entry at Columbus, New Mexico, this area has become more militarized and politicized than ever before. Mike Tapia examines this region by exploring a century of historical developments through a criminological lens and by studying the diverse subcultures on both sides of the law.
Tapia looks extensively at the role of history and geography on criminal subculture formation in the binational urban setting of El Paso-Juárez, demonstrating the region's unique context for criminogenic processes. He provides a poignant case study of Homeland Security and the apparent lack of drug-war spillover in communities on the US-Mexico border.
Tapia looks extensively at the role of history and geography on criminal subculture formation in the binational urban setting of El Paso-Juárez, demonstrating the region's unique context for criminogenic processes. He provides a poignant case study of Homeland Security and the apparent lack of drug-war spillover in communities on the US-Mexico border.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published December 15, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 6, 2024
First - just need to say that I'm all over the place on how many stars to give this book. From an enjoyment (tough topic) I'd say 3 stars -it is very much a numbers/statistics kind of book - lists of gang names and affiliations, how they came into being.
Two, I'd give it 5 stars - From a helpful, needed, studious, and detailed look at how gangs are grouped and what their connections are to one another, whether Californian, South Western American states, or large city gangs throughout the USA - this book shows that gangs have been organized in the US. (esp. the border areas) from somewhere around 100 years or more and Tapia traces these origins. However, his main focus is the triangular area around El Paso, Las Cruces, N.M. and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Three, I'd give it a 3 or 4 star on what I actually took away from the book. Admittedly, I am not sure who his targeted audience actually is meant to be, but likely, for others involved in understanding what's actually going on regarding gangs/cartels on the U.S./Mexico border. Policy makers should definitely read this book!
BUT, this was a good book overall and is very approachable and readable for the average curious reader. Well done and bravo, Mike Tapia.
Here's what an average reader can take away. Chicano gangs have been around since at least 1919. They began as units of a subculture - one we might remember as zoot suits. Gangs (which do have female members) are most often male-dominated and male run. They often are part of the prison culture and extend into the street gangs. They form as sub-cultures from peoples who find themselves marginalized, whether from race, culture, or class levels. Those who are pushed into poverty and blocked by cultural expectations, those whose life circumstances have them raised in alcohol or drug cultures - but mostly what POVERTY does to people in any country - gangs will form.
Also I took away what I already suspected as a news consumer: politicians and certain others want to politicize the border areas of the US for their own gain. That there is corruption even with certain law enforcement agencies that are supposed to be working on criminal gang activity on the US side of the border. That Mexico is full of American guns and that it is the demand from Americans for drugs that are part of the problem on the border. El Paso, Texas, which is the main focal area for this book, is about 80% Latino population, yet their crime rate is actually quite low. And yes, cartels are dangerous and violent, and yes gangs in general do commit crimes - theft, drug-dealing, murders - although often the murders are within the gangs themselves.
There are solutions to really big problems. There are plenty of common sense solutions and we need those like Mike Tapia to help inform people with their research. I'll leave with a few quotes from the book:
"Gangs thrive in the underground economy, a universal phenomenon that serves all social classes. Moreover, by virtue of the less than ideal social contexts most gang members were born into, they do not always choose the gang lifestyle; rather it "selects" them for being marginalized members of society in some way."
"On the contrary, such an undertaking reminds one that gangs often emerge from some of the worst social conditions, mostly brought on by socioeconomic inequality."
"That most of these are comprised of poorly educated misfit youth, who effectively organize their groups despite formal, legal efforts to deter and disband them is equally fascinating."
And now my sermonizing will say that those who consistently belly-ache about taking care of marginalized people, because "they want everything handed to them" needs to stop saying things like that. Read and learn about others. That there is always a story as to how a person's circumstance comes into being. The more we turn away from social programs - public libraries, public transportation, after-school programs and youth centers, school nurses and psychologists, public education, paying public servants a living wage, etc. the more heartache we bring to society at large. These are not give-aways, they are pieces of society - shared costs that create happier societies. These are human beings. Gangs start with youths who feel ignored and left behind. Gangs form in prisons - and we have a corporate culture with prisons in America.
Read, learn. Stop falling prey to news stories just meant to make you scared. Yes, there is a border problem. Yes there are violent drug cartels. But there are solutions and it doesn't involve using the U.S. military to grab anyone with brown skin from their homes and jobs just because it makes a profitable Newshour.
Two, I'd give it 5 stars - From a helpful, needed, studious, and detailed look at how gangs are grouped and what their connections are to one another, whether Californian, South Western American states, or large city gangs throughout the USA - this book shows that gangs have been organized in the US. (esp. the border areas) from somewhere around 100 years or more and Tapia traces these origins. However, his main focus is the triangular area around El Paso, Las Cruces, N.M. and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Three, I'd give it a 3 or 4 star on what I actually took away from the book. Admittedly, I am not sure who his targeted audience actually is meant to be, but likely, for others involved in understanding what's actually going on regarding gangs/cartels on the U.S./Mexico border. Policy makers should definitely read this book!
BUT, this was a good book overall and is very approachable and readable for the average curious reader. Well done and bravo, Mike Tapia.
Here's what an average reader can take away. Chicano gangs have been around since at least 1919. They began as units of a subculture - one we might remember as zoot suits. Gangs (which do have female members) are most often male-dominated and male run. They often are part of the prison culture and extend into the street gangs. They form as sub-cultures from peoples who find themselves marginalized, whether from race, culture, or class levels. Those who are pushed into poverty and blocked by cultural expectations, those whose life circumstances have them raised in alcohol or drug cultures - but mostly what POVERTY does to people in any country - gangs will form.
Also I took away what I already suspected as a news consumer: politicians and certain others want to politicize the border areas of the US for their own gain. That there is corruption even with certain law enforcement agencies that are supposed to be working on criminal gang activity on the US side of the border. That Mexico is full of American guns and that it is the demand from Americans for drugs that are part of the problem on the border. El Paso, Texas, which is the main focal area for this book, is about 80% Latino population, yet their crime rate is actually quite low. And yes, cartels are dangerous and violent, and yes gangs in general do commit crimes - theft, drug-dealing, murders - although often the murders are within the gangs themselves.
There are solutions to really big problems. There are plenty of common sense solutions and we need those like Mike Tapia to help inform people with their research. I'll leave with a few quotes from the book:
"Gangs thrive in the underground economy, a universal phenomenon that serves all social classes. Moreover, by virtue of the less than ideal social contexts most gang members were born into, they do not always choose the gang lifestyle; rather it "selects" them for being marginalized members of society in some way."
"On the contrary, such an undertaking reminds one that gangs often emerge from some of the worst social conditions, mostly brought on by socioeconomic inequality."
"That most of these are comprised of poorly educated misfit youth, who effectively organize their groups despite formal, legal efforts to deter and disband them is equally fascinating."
And now my sermonizing will say that those who consistently belly-ache about taking care of marginalized people, because "they want everything handed to them" needs to stop saying things like that. Read and learn about others. That there is always a story as to how a person's circumstance comes into being. The more we turn away from social programs - public libraries, public transportation, after-school programs and youth centers, school nurses and psychologists, public education, paying public servants a living wage, etc. the more heartache we bring to society at large. These are not give-aways, they are pieces of society - shared costs that create happier societies. These are human beings. Gangs start with youths who feel ignored and left behind. Gangs form in prisons - and we have a corporate culture with prisons in America.
Read, learn. Stop falling prey to news stories just meant to make you scared. Yes, there is a border problem. Yes there are violent drug cartels. But there are solutions and it doesn't involve using the U.S. military to grab anyone with brown skin from their homes and jobs just because it makes a profitable Newshour.
June 16, 2021
Big on statistics and repetitious.
This book at 201 pages could have all the contents in about 80 pages and a few charts.
Statistics make for boring reading unless you need them for a lecture.
Although the book clearly outlined the origins and evolution of Chicano gangs it was likely written by a robot.
I suggest looking for other books on the subject that at least try to keep you interested.
This book at 201 pages could have all the contents in about 80 pages and a few charts.
Statistics make for boring reading unless you need them for a lecture.
Although the book clearly outlined the origins and evolution of Chicano gangs it was likely written by a robot.
I suggest looking for other books on the subject that at least try to keep you interested.
March 26, 2023
Hot mess. Factual errors, ie Santa Theresa (it's Teresa) Chaparral is west of Columbus (it's east), typos galore. Confusing sentences, redundancies. Exhausting.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews