Nikole Van Engen
Mr. Holwerda
Law
November 10, 2015
Latin Kings - Kingism
During the 1940’s, Chicago was home to a newly formed gang, the Latin Kings. Many Puerto Rican immigrants formed groups similar to their views of those in Puerto Rico. Although the gang is primarily Puerto Rican, some members are Ecuadorian, Cuban, or Dominican. “Papa King” is a name typically used to describe their founder, or original gagster. A 3-point crown is their symbol; how they identify with others around the world. Sometimes a town or street is incorporated into the symbol. Many gang members will also wear black and gold, or wear clothing of popular Chicago teams such as the Blackhawks and Bulls. There are around 50,000 members worldwide, but nearly half of the Latin Kings are living in Chicago. Texas, New York, and …show more content…
"Your crown is what you live for or what you die for, it's like the air you breathe ... So the worst thing for a Latin King is to have his crown taken.” Having your crown taken is not taken lightly. A snitch, fraud, liar, con artist, cheater or anyone not completely devout to the Latin Kings has their crown taken. A woman named Casey Alcantara attempted to join the gang after having relations with a gang member. She had two tattoos of the Latin King’s symbol, a crown. Alcantara was the cause of many problems, and as a result she lost her crown. In a literal sense her tattoos were destroyed, and the Latin King’s do not recognize her as a member. A circumstance such as this is not uncommon if one has had a negative impact on the gang. Sources:
Weiner, Jeff. "The Inca: Gang Leader's Trial Revealed Latin Kings' Culture." OrlandoSentinel.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
"Latin Kings." Chigago Gangs. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
"Latin Kings." NCGIA Gang Profiles:. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Nov.
Mr. Holwerda
Law
November 10, 2015
Latin Kings - Kingism
During the 1940’s, Chicago was home to a newly formed gang, the Latin Kings. Many Puerto Rican immigrants formed groups similar to their views of those in Puerto Rico. Although the gang is primarily Puerto Rican, some members are Ecuadorian, Cuban, or Dominican. “Papa King” is a name typically used to describe their founder, or original gagster. A 3-point crown is their symbol; how they identify with others around the world. Sometimes a town or street is incorporated into the symbol. Many gang members will also wear black and gold, or wear clothing of popular Chicago teams such as the Blackhawks and Bulls. There are around 50,000 members worldwide, but nearly half of the Latin Kings are living in Chicago. Texas, New York, and …show more content…
"Your crown is what you live for or what you die for, it's like the air you breathe ... So the worst thing for a Latin King is to have his crown taken.” Having your crown taken is not taken lightly. A snitch, fraud, liar, con artist, cheater or anyone not completely devout to the Latin Kings has their crown taken. A woman named Casey Alcantara attempted to join the gang after having relations with a gang member. She had two tattoos of the Latin King’s symbol, a crown. Alcantara was the cause of many problems, and as a result she lost her crown. In a literal sense her tattoos were destroyed, and the Latin King’s do not recognize her as a member. A circumstance such as this is not uncommon if one has had a negative impact on the gang. Sources:
Weiner, Jeff. "The Inca: Gang Leader's Trial Revealed Latin Kings' Culture." OrlandoSentinel.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
"Latin Kings." Chigago Gangs. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
"Latin Kings." NCGIA Gang Profiles:. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Nov.