Gangs of New York (No Leo DiCaprio) by D

            Looking back on the history of America, we can see that the 1960’s was a time of hippies and "love not war.” However, the 1970's in New York was a very different story. It is no mystery that with difficult economic times, usually crime and violence is sure to follow. The children growing up in this area and this time seem to have been jaded by the lost hopes and ambitions of their parents. They did not fight for integration, but actually it seemed as though they welcomed the segregation. The kids growing up at this time were lost, products of their environments; they needed some set of laws to live by. This is what the gangs provided. 

“Gangs structured the chaos (Chang 49). ” I feel that this is by far the most important concept to understanding why gangs thrived. The adolescents of this time saw their families falling apart. They saw their parents struggling to pay bills or protect their kids from the dangers of the streets in New York. So, they took it upon themselves to find protection. That is where the gangs come in. These gangs were families (though dangerous ones). Once you had passed initiation, they offered complete loyalty and unity. 

The gangs thrived because people wanted a sense of belonging. They also acted like police officers in a round about way. Where the cops deemed unimportant, gang members were pushing out drug addicts and dealers. Though they became extremely violent over time, I do feel that the situation served a purpose. The bad conditions and difficult economic times served as a stepping stone for the kids. Ultimately these violent and senseless killings between opposing gangs would calm down. Soon enough, as the 80’s approach, the impressionable youth would be more interested in standing out as BBoys and Bgirls, MCs and DJs, as opposed to clones of a gang. 

Just like as we saw in Jamaica with the birth of reggae, the struggle  acts as a platform. It allows them to want to change their circumstances, and music is one way to invoke change and express feelings and desires.