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Harden, Blaine. "With Brass-Knuckled Tales, 50's Street Gang Looks Back." New York Times 15 February 1999: A1.
In 1959, a young photographer named Bruce Davidson spent months loitering in Booklyn visually recording the lives and turmoils of the members of a Brooklyn street gang. 40 years later, the gangs members, who had been mere teenagers in the 50's, reunited over Davidson's work to reflect on their formerly violent existences. There can be no question that the life events of street gang members have had a lasting impression on the members themselves as well anyone with an intimate view. These gang members, like the characters of West Side Story, led fairly desperate lives, with little hope of escaping the poverty into which they were born. Many of their parents were unskilled laborers, who were losing jobs at alarming rates as factories in and around New York City closed. The financial and emotional stresses often led to alcohol, abuse, and countless other problems. Children were neglected as often as they were ill-treated, and as they entered their tumultuous teenage years, many sought stability and support from the only people willing to provide--other teenagers in the same situation.
Fighting with rival gang members was commonplace, but were often limited to weapons of brute force like bats and knives rather than automatic weapons. such is the case in West Side Story, where the rumble is agreed to be a fistfight, until each combatant reveals his own hidden knife. These fights were seen as assertions of one's bravery, dominance, and loyalty, and to shy away from a fight was downright dishonorable. And while many expected that these teens, like the characters of West Side Story, would be locked into lives of violence and crime, many of their stories have happier endings that include full-time jobs, homes, and cared-for families. The lasting impact of the strife and violence from their stories is evident when one simply examines the success of a film like West Side Story. The tale of rivalry, unreasonable hatred, and overcoming oppression is as salient today as it was in the 1950's.
Fighting with rival gang members was commonplace, but were often limited to weapons of brute force like bats and knives rather than automatic weapons. such is the case in West Side Story, where the rumble is agreed to be a fistfight, until each combatant reveals his own hidden knife. These fights were seen as assertions of one's bravery, dominance, and loyalty, and to shy away from a fight was downright dishonorable. And while many expected that these teens, like the characters of West Side Story, would be locked into lives of violence and crime, many of their stories have happier endings that include full-time jobs, homes, and cared-for families. The lasting impact of the strife and violence from their stories is evident when one simply examines the success of a film like West Side Story. The tale of rivalry, unreasonable hatred, and overcoming oppression is as salient today as it was in the 1950's.
belongs to West Side Story (1961) project
tagged gangs new_york street_gang
by rclevy
...on 10-APR-08
Salisbury, Harrison E. "Youth Gang Members Tell of Lives, Hates and Fears; City's 'Shook-Up' Youth: Their Lives are Found Lacking in the Basic Securities." New York Times 25 March 1958: 1.
This article, one of a seven-part series written in the midst of gang-related turmoil in New York and Los Angeles in the 1950's, examines the conditions that lead to street gang formation and the deterioration of the neighborhoods they control. First is the case of 17-year-old Vincent, the immigrant Puerto Rican leader of one of New York's street gangs. He explains that his primary motivation for involvement, like many others his age, is safety and security. The members of Vincent's gang are highly distrustful of those outside of the gang, relying instead on only those companions who have proven their loyalty. Vincent also claims that Puerto Ricans and other non-natives are subject to unfair treatment at the hands of their so-called protectors: the police. The local police are no more welcoming of the Puerto Rican presence than the local natives, and with even a minor smudge on one's record, a decent job and a fair living become almost entirely out of reach. Vincent himself was prevented from graduating high school by a false conviction from the police. The article also uses the case study of Tommy, another gang leader, who sees the Army as the only guaranteed way of escaping the dangerous neighborhoods where the gangs reign. He explains that gangs are places where his presence is not only valued but respected--in stark contrast to places like school, where he is struggling to succeed, and home, where instability and deprivation are ever-present.
The racism found even within the police force can be seen in West Side Story. Lieutenant Schrank's biased treatment of the gangs shows clear preference for the white Jets. He not only lets them get away with more trouble, but he agrees with them that the Sharks are encroaching on the Jets' territory. He is not entirely respectful or fair to either group, but he saves the majority of his abuse for the Puerto Ricans. In the article, Tommy mentions his dislike of school, although it is one of the few places in the neighborhood that has been declared "neutral territory." The situation is the same in the film--the high school (where the dance is held) is the exclusive turf of neither gang since they have no choice but to coexist on its grounds. The gang members need for security is understandable, as they are always at risk of attack at the hands of the rival gang. The opening scene of West Side Story illustrates this well--the power switches hands numerous times depending on which group's members outnumber the other's. The members almost always travel in groups of two, three, or more, as the most precarious situation one can be caught in is being alone and cornered by the rival gang, as happens to Baby John, who narrowly escapes.
belongs to West Side Story (1961) project
tagged gangs new_york puerto_rico street_gang
by rclevy
...on 10-APR-08