Posted on 08/26/2007 3:10:34 PM PDT by Nachum
Zulma Arreola's cell phone rings incessantly. She spends a large part of her workday on it, listening to and counseling about 40 Latina girls, ages 11 to 18, who are affected -- or at risk of being affected -- by gangs.
Youth gangs are growing in east Multnomah County, Arreola said, and that's why the culturally specific gang intervention program at El Programa Hispano is crucial. Arreola builds rapport with the girls, acts as a role model and visits the girls and their parents at home to help them leave or avoid the gang lifestyle.
"We do anything that will empower the kids, that will teach them leadership and give them pride," she said. "We're trying to expose them to many things and teach them that there are other options in life."
Latina girls in east county face several challenges that make them vulnerable, with poverty being the biggest, Arreola said. The youth often come from low-income immigrant families, where parents work long hours and have little time to supervise their children.
Another challenge is the pull the girls feel to keep their parents' Latino culture and to fit into a new, American way of life, Arreola said. The teens struggle with their identity and their gender roles. They face high rates of teenage pregnancy and one of the highest school drop-out rates.
Under Arreola's guidance, the girls go on field trips, attend a leadership camp, participate in Women in Trades workshops, play in a soccer league and create theatrical plays. They are also referred to other services available through El Programa, such as academic support, driver education and immigration assistance. Their parents can attend education workshops.
Arreola sees many girls leave the gangs, go to college and successfully raise their own children. "With the right support from their families and with services like ours," she said, "these kids have a chance."
O you’ve got to be kidding me. Oregon?
Sheesh—whatever happened to Girl Scouts?—Other than parents who don’t give a damned.
Head shavin, man hating, lesbian feminazis happened to the Girl Scouts. At lease in many parts of the country.
“that’s why the culturally specific gang intervention program at El Programa Hispano is crucial”
This statement is confusing...I thought that the gangs were a cultural thing...she wants the girls to avoid or leave the gangs?
“she said. “We’re trying to....... teach them that there are other options in life”
like quit breaking the law and go back home to Mexico..
“Latina girls in east county face several challenges that make them vulnerable, with poverty being the biggest”
Funny how poverty seldom causes American kids to go wrong or join gangs or demand other peoples property..must be a cultural thing..
“The youth often come from low-income immigrant families, where parents work long hours and have little time to supervise their children”
So much for family values.. American parents would lose their kids..
“Another challenge is the pull the girls feel to keep their parents’ Latino culture and to fit into a new, American way of life”
Ahhhh, the Rule of Law...Americans dont have a cultural habit of breaking and entering and entitlement..
“The teens struggle with their identity and their gender roles. They face high rates of teenage pregnancy...”
They’re getting pregnant so there’s no struggle with their gender role..
“immigration assistance”
Just send these illegal aliens home to Mexico..
Nope. It’s all over America now.
But it can be dealt with, if we the people have the guts to do it.
I can tell you this. I lived in Oregon over 50 years. There are no services like that for US CITIZEN orphan/foster children. They’re lucky if they’re not placed with pedophiles and murderers with the poor children’s services they’ve always had.
You've got to be kidding. Ask any cop. They spend half of every shift in impoverished areas full of Americans, black or white. Go into poor white American communities--cheap trailer parks or rural hamlets--and the squad cars are there constantly. Same thing with neighborhoods full of black Americans.
Black men comprise 12% of the general population, yet 50% of our prison population nationwide.
I say again...
poverty seldom causes American kids to go wrong or join gangs or demand other peoples property..must be a cultural thing
I think you meant to say black PEOPLE as a group make up 12% of the population.
SIX percent of the population is black males.
I should also mention that my figures are as of 2000, which was seven years ago.
You can say it as many times as you want to, but saying it won't alter the fact that our prisons are full of Americans, white and black, from poor backgrounds.
Stats are probably about the same now.
While I don’t buy into that”whitey made me a thug”mentality,there are times when I marvel at how WHITE domestic terrorists like Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers could be teaching at a major American university instead of being locked up with all the”brothers”
Ditto the big time dope dealer I knew from Lake Tahoe days who wrangled his way out of two major busts with help from his rich daddy and is now a practicing attorney.
Blacks aren’t just talking smack when they point to discrepancies like that in our system.
“our prisons are full of Americans, white and black, from poor backgrounds”
And also from privileged rich backgrounds...
Though less only because of better legal representation..
Economic levels do not determine a persons character..
Hispanic gangs are everywhere. In NC they are already a problem.
Of course they don't. But you're changing the subject. You contended that there is something inherent in Spanish culture that causes poor Hispanic kids to become criminals, while poor Americans don't become criminals. That is a ludicrous statement, not borne out by either statistics or by direct observation.
But please, don't let mere logic divert you from your touching belief in the invariable virtue of poor Americans.
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