Crews: Gang Members Talk to Maria Hinojosa

by María Hinojosa, German Perez (Photographer)

A vivid portrait of New York City gang life features a collection of interviews by a noted reporter for National Public Radio that detail the experiences of crew members in their struggle to survive in a world of violence.

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Maria Hinojosa dreamt of a space where she could create independent, multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diverse American experience. She made that dream a reality in 2010 when she created Futuro Media, an independent, nonprofit newsroom based in Harlem, NYC with the mission to create multimedia content from a POC perspective. As Anchor and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by NPR, and Co-Host of Futuro Media’s award-winning political podcast In The Thick, Hinojosa has informed millions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad.

Reviews

[Cristina D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written 24/25 years ago and still remains incredibly relevant. Although many of the issues the book highlights are not new to me (gang violence stemming from a convergence of how our society fails our youth especially those already living in poverty) it is always invaluable to hear these stories and experiences straight from the horses mouth. Hinojosa does an incredible job at really getting to the bottom of why the youth in our communities fall into violence—having experienced abuse at a young age, lack of job opportunities, inadequate education, racism, and the list goes on...I loved this super quick read! Might make you cry.

[Christa Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an interesting read but not necessarily anything new. Written in 1994, this book was on the cusp of the 90 non fiction investigative journalism, like Kozol and Random House, et al.
Still, it bears reading to see where Maria Hinojosa got her start, and it’s a super fast and short read. I liked it!

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot describe how much this book has impacted me. As an aspiring journalist, Hinajosa opened my eyes to one of the most important aspects in journalism—interpersonal relationships and story telling. The labels put upon these children remove themselves of being seen human especially under racial profiling. This book is one of the many examples that dives into real people’s mindset in the actions they pursue and open the doors into the social and political problems of the environment around us. I found myself crying lots of the time learning about how these people got into the position they were often forced into.

[Miss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot Summary:

In 1990, a Utah family visited New York City to check out tennis tournaments. During that visit, the family was mugged. During this attempted robbery, the brave son tried prevent this mugging on the subway. In a tragedy, the young man was fatally stabbed by a gang member. Maria Hinojosa, NPR's host of "Latino USA"a 1990, went back to New York City and interviewed some of the gang members who knew the killer. Hinojosa spent some time talking to these young men and women. They suggest that they are not "gang members" but instead they are "crews." They are a group from the same neighborhood that hang out together , helping each other. The problem that the boys and girls seem to go through is that they have lost hope in life. They feel that they can't get a job or improve their live circumstances. Many of them come from broken homes where drugs, violence, and physical abuse in part of the everyday conversations. They can't seem to overcome their hard lives.

Personal Reaction:

The personal reaction that I had was being able to see how this young men and women had no hope. They want success but instead they feel like their lives have some sort of vice-grip hold on it. They cannot overcome their difficulties, and for that reason, they continue to fight to survive on the streets.

Critical Insight:

I think it is critical that these young men have some sort of leadership in their lives. It seems that they lack the leadership that could be used in their lives.


Suggested Audience:

+16. This age is appropriate because of the violent content and information which the crew members describe to the interviewer.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

NON-FICTION

This novel is documentary-style, and interviews a few youth from New York who grew up with crews: not gangs, crew. They offer a unique perspective and really open up to Hinojosa. There are definitely some people that grow up in rough areas, and this book explains their plight.

I really enjoyed it! Especially after reading The Outsiders, Hole in my life, and other stories about kids in similar situations, my fascination for this subject has grown. I've always wanted to teach in at-risk areas as described in this book, and this would be an appropriate novel to teach.

I think this is meant for an older audience (high school) so that they have the maturity to understand how areas get more grey as life gets on. I think middle schoolers would tend to condemn this kids much quicker. Overall, enlightening.

[Jaynann · Rating 3 out of 5]

REQUIRED CATEGORY: NON-FICTION
This book is written in interview format and is a fascinating read. It tells the stories of 5 or 6 different teens that are part of "crews." These crew members opened up to Maria about their lives, what they do for fun, and why they are so violent. Often their stories are frustrating and infuriating and sad and hopeless as the same time. I enjoyed this book although it wasn't quite a page turner for me. It was something to read a little bit at a time and think about rather than rush through. I would recommend this book for high schoolers.