Positive Role Models: Antidote for Salinas Gang Violence?

Elaine Schumacher, Staff Reporter

Elaine_Schumacher@csumb.edu

May 1, 2008

Only four months into the year

the city of Salinas has had eight

homicides, already more than half

of the number in 2007. The increase

in homicides indicates that despite

the increase of gang task forces,

gang violence continues to rise in

the area.

Collaborative Health and

Human Services (CHHS)

sophomore David Hernandez lost

his cousin when she was shot and

killed at a Salinas party in October

2007. Although Hernandez said

he has lived with gangsters his

whole life, he never believed that

it would impact him so tragically.

“Our family was completely

destroyed and we still can’t

believe that she is no longer with

us,” Hernandez said. Different

theories exist for why Salinas has

such a large gang problem. There

are some who believe the media

and the Police Department have

overstated the gang violence in

Salinas, while others believe that

it is the result of a prison system

that has become a revolving door

for gang members. Commander

McMillin of the Salinas Police

Department disagrees.

“Gang members do not come

out of the prison system but out

of the grade schools,” McMillin

said. “There are gang members that

are third and fourth generations

of gang involvement.” Human

Communication senior, Carlos

Garnica, grew up in East Salinas at a

time when gang activity existed, but

fatal violence was not as common.

“Everyone knew each other

and the neighborhood children

would play outside until dark,”

said Garnica. Unfortunately this

is not the case in many Salinas

neighborhoods today. Through

hard work and saving, the Garnicas

were able to move to a home in

North Salinas to what they believe

is a safer environment.

“I have been able to avoid

gang influences because my

family always encouraged me by

providing positive influences,”

said Garnica. “My uncles, who

knew gang members, told me to

never give a gang member respect,

or be intimidated by them.”

Although there are many

common factors that lead youths

to gang activity, Garnica believes

that gang members are usually

“jobless dropouts” who live at

home, usually with one parent,

Only four months into the year

the city of Salinas has had eight

homicides, already more than half

of the number in 2007. The increase

in homicides indicates that despite

the increase of gang task forces,

gang violence continues to rise in

the area.

Collaborative Health and

Human Services (CHHS)

sophomore David Hernandez lost

his cousin when she was shot and

killed at a Salinas party in October

2007. Although Hernandez said

he has lived with gangsters his

whole life, he never believed that

it would impact him so tragically.

“Our family was completely

destroyed and we still can’t

believe that she is no longer with

and have joined gangs for

attention and to find the dominant

father role that they may not have

at home. Despite the heavy gang

activity in Salinas, Garnica and

Hernandez have been able to stay

clear of the gang life. Hernandez

said his own uncle influenced

him to stay away from gangs;

as a gang member, his uncle has

learned he does not want Gamica

living the gangster lifestyle.

“I saw what people became when

they were involved with gangs and

I wanted a better life for myself

and my family,” said Hernandez.

According to McMillin, it may

take generations to break the cycle

of gang involvement, but there

is a positive outlook. Hernandez

and Garnica serve as role models

proving it is possible to succeed

and live without gangs. Although

they grew up in Salinas with

gang influence around them, their

families taught them how valuable

education will be to their lives, a

trend that hopefully is on the rise.