My school's neighborhood - Hawaiian Gardens

MakiSupaStar · #1 05-22-2009, 08:59 AM

As some of you may or may not know, the area that I teach in is a challenging area to say the least, and I would argue that over the past few years things have been getting better besides a few setbacks. Over the past couple of years there have been a few flare ups here and there between rival black and brown gangs, but overall, I'm seeing less and less kids come through my room that are "real" gangbangers. Well then this happens.

The VHG has been a real problem here in Hawaiian Gardens, but I didn't realize the extent of it (although once my classroom door was tagged with a giant "VHG"). Usually, I get a very good reading on the status of the neighborhood through my students. So we were all pretty surprised when this happened. Hopefully this relieves a lot of tension in my children's lives. Even though this raid is going to be a big disruption in a lot of my student's lives (including supporting family members going to prison for a long time), I hope that this represents the final push to take control of a neighborhood that has slowly been improving.

Latino gang accused of targeting blacks near LA

Joe Gress · #2 05-22-2009, 09:02 AM

As I said before, wow. Stay safe.

Have you yourself had any problems? Do you think it affects your teaching at all? I'm curious, not prying.

MJ5150 · #3 05-22-2009, 09:10 AM

Ethnic cleansing attempts still alive and well in the USA.

-Mike

L-A · #4 05-22-2009, 09:35 AM

I feel ya. There's a bunch of neo-nazis around where I live.

I live near a mental health institution

EricF · #5 05-22-2009, 09:38 AM

Stay safe, Maki.

Jared Lash · #6 05-22-2009, 09:48 AM

Good to see the police making a concerted effort to really stem the tide. I'd be a little worried about a spike in violence, but overall this should be a very positive thing.

MakiSupaStar · #7 05-22-2009, 09:50 AM

Despite this raid, I still maintain my stance that the neighborhood has been improving. My students seem to be more into school, friendly, and generally happier (plus minus a few isolated incidents). But personally, I'm glad for this raid. Good riddance. Even though I work in this neighborhood, I have never felt my life was in danger here.

Mark Latimour · #8 05-22-2009, 09:52 AM

Maki is TB's own Michelle Pfeiffer. Cue Coolio....

knarleybass · #9 05-22-2009, 09:54 AM

Hawaiian Gardens has been a rough area for years... hang in there.

MJ5150 · #10 05-22-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Even though I work in this neighborhood, I have never felt my life was in danger here.

I try not to be the master of the obvious....but this is a war between blacks and Mexicans, and you are neither. If they started coming after teal colored people, you better ditch that mask.

-Mike

MakiSupaStar · #11 05-22-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I try not to be the master of the obvious....but this is a war between blacks and Mexicans, and you are neither. If they started coming after teal colored people, you better ditch that mask.

-Mike

LOL.

ElMon · #12 05-22-2009, 11:22 AM

Hope things turn out for the better. When I lived in Sarasota FL, I was always shocked by brown-on-black violence. Didn't quite know where it stemmed from either, just knew to get my white @$$ out of there if something started to go down.

PRUNEFACE · #13 05-22-2009, 11:29 AM

You teach in high school?
And ElMon I don't understand it either, becasue either the gangs are using stereotypes (all mexicans are marijuana dealers... I live in an ignorant area, so this may not even be the "Correct" stereotype lol)

ElMon · #14 05-22-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRUNEFACE

You teach in high school?
And ElMon I don't understand it either, becasue either the gangs are using stereotypes (all mexicans are marijuana dealers... I live in an ignorant area, so this may not even be the "Correct" stereotype lol)

For me, it was a good lesson that racism isn't confined to white males oppressing blacks or other minorities. Black on brown and brown on black racism seemed to me to be WAY more violent in nature. We had a few riots that shut down my middle school and my high school. Thankfully no one died, but there were multiple stabbings/beatings.

warwick.hoy · #15 05-22-2009, 11:53 AM

I imagine that your students are predominately Latino...do you detect tensions between them and the black students?

I think racism can be nipped in the bud at a young age. It is usually something that is a result of fear and upbringing.

Also; It seems like the attacks weren't against innocent people as opposed to rival gang members and that is what I find most disturbing. You'd expect something like this in Bosnia, not California.

MakiSupaStar · #16 05-22-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

I imagine that your students are predominately Latino...do you detect tensions between them and the black students?

I think racism can be nipped in the bud at a young age. It is usually something that is a result of fear and upbringing.

Also; It seems like the attacks weren't against innocent people as opposed to rival gang members and that is what I find most disturbing. You'd expect something like this in Bosnia, not California.

Actually, over the past couple years (not so much recently) there were innocent people attacked. By innocent I mean, they weren't involved in gangs. We did have a few brown on black incidents (mostly name calling, but one incident involved high school kids coming down and tagging cars (a few teacher cars were hit) with racial epitaphs, and once incident where a high school kid got on our campus and chased a black student, but was run off) a while ago, and if you do a search, you can see that this is an issue that I've posted about, BUT with that said, this year, and towards the end of last school year, this stuff had really been reduced.

I see kids of all colors working side by side in my classroom. Daily. Right now as I type this I am witnessing this as we speak. Also students have friendships that are not divided along racial lines. I'm not saying that there is no racial tension, but right now, it's mostly ignorant middle school stuff.

There is the possibility that I've hardened over the years too. Still, I'm guardedly optimistic about my statements that things are improving. I've been at this school since 2002. When I first got it here, it was crazy. I was receiving parental visits from gangbanger parents fresh out of prison who were concerned about their child. 04,05 school year was the worst as far as brown, black tension. A big part of this raid was also a response to an antigang officer that was shot in the face and killed instantly when he knocked on the door of person he was working with. That was horrible. Cold blooded murder of a good person, whom I've met here at the school many times. The guy that shot him was out on parole and tweaking on speed.

jive1 · #17 05-22-2009, 02:21 PM

I think you balance things out by organizing a White Supremecist Neo-Nazi Skinhead militia. Yeah, that's it.

ElMon · #18 05-22-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Actually, over the past couple years (not so much recently) there were innocent people attacked. By innocent I mean, they weren't involved in gangs. We did have a few brown on black incidents (mostly name calling, but one incident involved high school kids coming down and tagging cars (a few teacher cars were hit) with racial epitaphs, and once incident where a high school kid got on our campus and chased a black student, but was run off) a while ago, and if you do a search, you can see that this is an issue that I've posted about, BUT with that said, this year, and towards the end of last school year, this stuff had really been reduced.

I see kids of all colors working side by side in my classroom. Daily. Right now as I type this I am witnessing this as we speak. Also students have friendships that are not divided along racial lines. I'm not saying that there is no racial tension, but right now, it's mostly ignorant middle school stuff.

There is the possibility that I've hardened over the years too. Still, I'm guardedly optimistic about my statements that things are improving. I've been at this school since 2002. When I first got it here, it was crazy. I was receiving parental visits from gangbanger parents fresh out of prison who were concerned about their child. 04,05 school year was the worst as far as brown, black tension. A big part of this raid was also a response to an antigang officer that was shot in the face and killed instantly when he knocked on the door of person he was working with. That was horrible. Cold blooded murder of a good person, whom I've met here at the school many times. The guy that shot him was out on parole and tweaking on speed.

That's terrible man, and I can only hope that the service you bring to the community as a teacher/mentor can help things. It certainly doesn't have to be that way. I had and have many friends of all colors/creeds/persuasion. Seems like its getting better out here in OK, as more diversity pours in and breaks up the typical white experience.

ElMon · #19 05-22-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jive1

I think you balance things out by organizing a White Supremecist Neo-Nazi Skinhead militia. Yeah, that's it.

Even better, you could have a gang of violent but noble heavies who ONLY attacked those who engaged in racially-motivated and/or gang-related violence. Like community policing with more guns and sidekicks