Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California

This paper is an analysis of the relationship between educational experiences, street life, and gang formation for Vietnamese American youth gang members in Southern California. I use critical narrative methodology to center the life and experiences of a Los Angeles area gang member. His narrative s...

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Main Author: Kevin D. Lam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Purdue University Press 2012-01-01
Series:Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jsaaea.coehd.utsa.edu/index.php/JSAAEA/article/view/101/141
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author Kevin D. Lam
author_facet Kevin D. Lam
author_sort Kevin D. Lam
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description This paper is an analysis of the relationship between educational experiences, street life, and gang formation for Vietnamese American youth gang members in Southern California. I use critical narrative methodology to center the life and experiences of a Los Angeles area gang member. His narrative substantiates how racism in schools and on the streets works together to impact and inform gang formation. Schools were sites of inter-ethnic conflict and racialized tension, and streets were spaces for contentious interactions with the police. In addition, I place the Vietnamese American youth gang phenomenon in larger historical and political contexts such as California’s anti-youth legislation, representations of Asian American youth, and U.S. geo-politics and imperialism—factors that have serious material and ideological implications and consequences.
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spelling doaj.art-53f3ee143c6f47778818b64d90dafc282022-12-22T03:42:43ZengPurdue University PressJournal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement2153-89992012-01-017116Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern CaliforniaKevin D. LamThis paper is an analysis of the relationship between educational experiences, street life, and gang formation for Vietnamese American youth gang members in Southern California. I use critical narrative methodology to center the life and experiences of a Los Angeles area gang member. His narrative substantiates how racism in schools and on the streets works together to impact and inform gang formation. Schools were sites of inter-ethnic conflict and racialized tension, and streets were spaces for contentious interactions with the police. In addition, I place the Vietnamese American youth gang phenomenon in larger historical and political contexts such as California’s anti-youth legislation, representations of Asian American youth, and U.S. geo-politics and imperialism—factors that have serious material and ideological implications and consequences.http://jsaaea.coehd.utsa.edu/index.php/JSAAEA/article/view/101/141Youth gangsVietnamese Americansracismcritical narrative methodologyinter-ethnic conflictcriminalization
spellingShingle Kevin D. Lam
Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement
Youth gangs
Vietnamese Americans
racism
critical narrative methodology
inter-ethnic conflict
criminalization
title Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
title_full Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
title_fullStr Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
title_full_unstemmed Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
title_short Racism, Schooling, and the Streets: A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese American Youth Gang Formation in Southern California
title_sort racism schooling and the streets a critical analysis of vietnamese american youth gang formation in southern california
topic Youth gangs
Vietnamese Americans
racism
critical narrative methodology
inter-ethnic conflict
criminalization
url http://jsaaea.coehd.utsa.edu/index.php/JSAAEA/article/view/101/141
work_keys_str_mv AT kevindlam racismschoolingandthestreetsacriticalanalysisofvietnameseamericanyouthgangformationinsoutherncalifornia