Always Running Analysis
In “Always Running”, a former gang member named Luis J. Rodriguez writes about his rough past. He joined his first gang when he was eleven years old, and saw many of his friends die one-by-one as a result of the dangers of being in a gang in east L.A. This broke him down and made him weak, but he had no one to share his emotions with which resulted in his joining of a gang. He killed an innocent man for the sake of being in a gang, spent several months in prison, and participated in numerous shootings. He tries to get out of the gang and do good in school but he keeps getting pulled back in. In his autobiography, Rodriguez tells of how his journey to become a better person led him to put his gang life behind and change his lifestyles for the
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East L.A. was full of racists and dangerous people, with discrimination in every school. Even his family was discriminated against, as his father was accused of stealing from a school: Rodriguez says, “By the time my father returned, his enemies had mapped out a means to remove him -- being a high school principal is a power position...my father faced a file of criminal charges...for months [he] fought the charges.” (15). This made him a target for bullying and making it more of a need for him to join a gang. Discrimination in the area in which Rodriguez and his family lived is one of the major reasons why he made the decision to join a gang, and demonstrates the struggles he had to endure throughout his …show more content…
He has killed people, been sent to prison, and participated in many violent acts. However, his acknowledgement of his mistakes are what best demonstrate his perseverance, as he shows that he does not let his past hold him back. In the concluding page of the autobiography, Rodriguez writes, “This book is a gift to my son Ramiro, to all my children, who will traverse a more severe and uncertain path to maturity than I had to undertake.” (247). He wants to tell them that they can change and their mistakes and past do not define who they are. The fact that his perspective on life has drastically changed, continues to demonstrate his strength and abilities that allow him to overcome his
East L.A. was full of racists and dangerous people, with discrimination in every school. Even his family was discriminated against, as his father was accused of stealing from a school: Rodriguez says, “By the time my father returned, his enemies had mapped out a means to remove him -- being a high school principal is a power position...my father faced a file of criminal charges...for months [he] fought the charges.” (15). This made him a target for bullying and making it more of a need for him to join a gang. Discrimination in the area in which Rodriguez and his family lived is one of the major reasons why he made the decision to join a gang, and demonstrates the struggles he had to endure throughout his …show more content…
He has killed people, been sent to prison, and participated in many violent acts. However, his acknowledgement of his mistakes are what best demonstrate his perseverance, as he shows that he does not let his past hold him back. In the concluding page of the autobiography, Rodriguez writes, “This book is a gift to my son Ramiro, to all my children, who will traverse a more severe and uncertain path to maturity than I had to undertake.” (247). He wants to tell them that they can change and their mistakes and past do not define who they are. The fact that his perspective on life has drastically changed, continues to demonstrate his strength and abilities that allow him to overcome his