Luis Rodriguez’s memoir

In his memoir, Luis Rodr�guez walks us through his life from childhood through young adulthood. The harsh realities around him shape his world view:

�By the time I turned 18 years old, 25 of my friends had been killed by rival gangs, police, drugs, car crashes and suicides.� (Rodr�guez, 4).

Rodr�guez sees himself as �lucky� because he was able to escape death, prison, or a crime driven existence. He, unlike many of his peers, was able to get out�to escape.

Young men, especially young men of color, in impoverished neighbors are often lured into gang life. For some, partaking in gang activities is not an option�often times they
are forced to and failing to do so could result in a beating or death. There are few alternatives or positive outlets for them and consequently gangs gain the upper hand.
According to Rodr�guez, who is ultimately to blame for his involvement in gangs and who/what does he credit for �saving� him from gangs? Why are gangs so appealing to some?

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