Although media and pop-culture fixation on American youth gangs reached its peak in the late 80s, the phenomenon is by no means a new one, nor did it go away when media focus turned elsewhere. The history of disenfranchised youth joining together for protection, social structure, and personal gain is almost as old as civilization itself. Wherever there is poverty and alienation in our society, family and community breakdown, gang activity will inevitably occur.

Some of the largest and most active gangs in America today include:

18th Street Gang
Black Gangster Disciples
Bloods
Crips
El Rukns
Latin Kings
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
Surenos
Vice Lords

The internet has become an essential venue for discussion and study of gang activity, in addition to providing an outlet and means of expression for the gang members themselves. Today, there are thousands of gang-related web pages, ranging from law enforcement archives to gang members' personal sites. No one site can claim to encompass this constantly changing subject. In the interest of helping our customers navigate this sometimes overwhelming array of information, GWC has compiled the following resources:

Gang Links
Examples of Gang Graffiti and Identifiers
Related GWC Articles and Video Presentations