How has the association between race/ethnicity and gang membership changed over time? Discuss contemporary findings relating to myths about race/ethnicity and gang members.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students should first indicate that early iterations of gangs were much more homogeneous than gangs today, with most of the first documented gang members in the United States being White Europeans. As immigration and migration patterns changed and became more diversified, so did gang membership, with groups such as Mexicans, African Americans, and Asians increasingly becoming gang members. Students should then indicate that myths promoted largely in the media that most gang members are minorities have recently been challenged by research finding that White gang involvement is actually higher than commonly believed and that gangs are increasingly becoming more ethnically and racially heterogeneous.