Gang Leader for a Day

Book Review Gang Leader for a day Sudhir Venkatesh, a student of University of Chicago, majoring in Sociology. From the very first week, he got warning that not to wander outside of the area of patrol. Venkatesh with a lot of spare time on hand began to wandering around the campus. The poor areas beyond the safety line soon make him wonders: How’s the life there? Do they go to work? What jobs do they have? What’s like to live in the poor area? It had peak his interest about the life of the poor neighborhood in the city. The frustration for answers and a daring personality thirsted for the firsthand experience through face to face interaction with the research. It would soon lead him to an adventure that would soon change his way to look at life differently. As mention in the book, Venkatesh did not agree with the quantitative method of research by collecting mass data through surveys and numbers. There were more questions in his mind that just can’t wait to be answer. He, by applying the qualitative research, wanted to understand more through first hand observation of the researches than learned it through the window of the quantitative method. His research later on is based on the knowledge he gained upon collecting and observing from the life of the Robert Taylor residents and the Black Kings. I soon realized how dangerous and venturesome of Venkatesh to be able to obtain his field notes to bring us these eye-opening experiences. During Venkatesh’s finding, this book best presented the conflict theory where one who hold the power and resources controls others and a competition of differentials between those in power. I find it sympathy to many the residents of Robert Taylor Homes. Not because I have a better life than them but no one born to be being discriminate, where robbery, violent and terrify things could happen anytime. They were facing many barriers in their life, little kids being born in a poor family, living day by day just not to be starve or shots to death. First, The Black Kings, BKs, took advantage of the poverty life of the Robert Taylor area; they established the one of the most popular drug trade in the Chicago city. BKs and other gangs’ territory created a clear barrier to where you could go and what not to do between areas of the same Robert Taylor Homes. The shooting happened between gangs also one of the constant threat to everyday life but it would seem a bit normal to the residents. J.T. himself, created a barrier between people like him consider themself as niggers, who couldn’t find jobs and white collar African American who would wear tie and go to work. The barrier created by Ms. Mae, J.T’s mother with Venkatesh who coming from a middle class family with herself coming from a poor family in Arkansas. Second there is the building president, Ms. Bailey, an experience and cunning woman who influence with the gang and the public services. Ms. Bailey by her power of connection, one side extorted the residents through police officials and the other turn away from the gang letting them selling the drug trades in the building. Certainly, the public service turned their away from Robert Taylor’s resident. The cops playing as the bad cop not all cops were the same but through bribery Officer Jerry and some rogue cops would do the extorted for Ms. Bailey. The police refused to come because of the tenants throwing glass and shout at them. The ambulance didn’t come because they know either the victim was wounded because of gunshot, domestic violence also they know they won’t be able to be paying for it. Price got wounded in the gang shooting’s scene and everyone knew the ambulance would never came. It would came down to our author have to lend J.T. his car to be able to get Price to hospital. The resident receive nothing from the surrounding community, not much people come to help with the community anymore I think either they’re too afraid just to be in these areas like me or mostly come for the drugs and prostitutes living and hanging around the Robert Taylor Homes. The only “community” that thinking and helps each other is the relationship of the gangs and the residents. The residents helped not called in the cops and sometimes provide a place for the gang to cook the crack and places stack the weapons. The gang helped protect, settle dispute, and keeping peace in the neighborhood. Peaceful neighbor come along with good businesses. The “community”, according to J.T, seems to me would taking of itself they don’t want anyone to get in their business or see themselves walked out of it. In some ways, the residents did received help from each other’s. Ms. Bailey, she had her own “soldiers”, the squatters or the man in the building would help her when the gang is not there. She stood for the women got abuse, or not letting any kids go hungry under her watch. Ms. Bailey with her connections helping the residents warm clothes to wear, heaters, and other things. She knew how to stay in controls with the tenants but after later I began to look down on the woman as she acted only under favorite and out of bribing her. I understand that making money is a need but it seems to me the poor robbed and stepped on the poorer. Life is tough on the poor social class. It is understandable how they would react violently or in a not normal way because of struggles they encountered. The residents think of the BKs as also part of their family. They paid the gangs to do so; they got protection from the gang and could stay out of trouble. Some are not happy of the gang’s activities and parties, some taking advantage of the gangs making some money by helping the gangs. Parents of the tenants would feel unsafe when something would happen. I think the gang activity seen as viable option for the youth of Robert Taylor because they are bore, consider being a in the poor area which have no jobs. The gang activities that would give them the awards that they have yet could afford, also with some benefits of joining the a little basketball league that would got free stuffs them. The gang made you feels strong and confident when walking along side with others like no one could touch you. These guys are kids, and the lack of education alter their judgment what is right and what is wrong. They don’t know the gang also recruiting more people through those little leagues games. I would think the limit of Venkatesh’s study would be out of J.T., he could only obtain his field note only from one organization and one of the poor areas. J.T only allow him to worked or have the fields note take from the one he know of or got the permission from J.T first in other to get his field notes. The only gang he was studied for was the Black Kings, but with the advantage of ethnographies letting us understand something that quantitative research could done. All this relies on everyday data, interactions with reliable sources that would lead us understand more deeply about. For instant how would things operate in the poor area? In my opinion, Venkatesh did have some of a true understanding of the entire subject he was studying. I don’t think he got the understanding entirely because it would need more time and research upon it. The gangs constantly changing but it would still show and keep how it is operate. There would always be new tricks, new ways to make money illegally. Certainly not all gang operate the same, but Venkatesh have already opening to me a new look of what’s the life of the resident, living and being poor, and especially being close to a gang leader. His finding would make me learn, how important education is. First, I feel funny realize the one hold the “knowledge” that went to college would likely to be promoted and being one of the senior officers in the gang. The youth gang worked under the leader would like not go to school and sell drugs to make money early in there life. They seems to be more violent since they didn’t go to school, being able interact with others and how to behave in front of people. I got no wonder why some would grow up and cause domestic violence in the household, they just not learn or got the chance to when they’re young. A mom would willing to do anything for her child. It is unbelievable what they would need to do to be able to provide for their kids. I got a new way looking at cops in these areas. Also myself cannot grasp the morals of being with their man have a kid and their man would lead them working as a prostitute. The cops would turn away, extorted, beating residents for money and cops doing the robbery? To me that’s new.
I grew up in a well off family thanks to my parents. In Vietnam, we have bad views for the minorities. The news, movie and also something that happen would make us thinks differently. The story was, one of busy day of our business. There are two black foreigners went in and asking to buy air conditions. As the women manager introduces the category, one would follow the sale women managers and one would stand look around, nothing seems suspicious. Suddenly one guy would grab the manager in the neck and one would open the table and took all the money in there also quickly discharge the laptop and both run away using the motorcycle. We didn’t lost much if we would have caution, thankfully no one was hurt but the manager left her job not long after. Later we learn that she was terrified when a muscular men grabbing her and shouting out curses in English. I was so close to the scene that time, I was upstairs watching TV. Then we learned to be caution around foreigners later on. Vietnam also had poor areash like these, but I don’t know if it would be to such extend like in the story. But I certainly feel the way it worked in Robert Taylor Homes would be kind of the same in our country. These things occurs in run down project or housing fifties stories high, where they would separate each different building and claim as their territory. I believe there would be no shooting since it’s illegal to own a gun but it’s more dramatic since they used other mean like knife, bat. Certainly it’s more dangerous in some ways. The reason of fighting would also be ridiculous as: “The way you look at me is disrespectful so I will kill you”, a dispute over two guys for one girl would involve the gangs to fight for them… It is also crazy. Our way of doing things would not much different since we’re Asian.