Go there for a full version of the Newsweek article given out in class.
Questions :
1. Gabriel Hinojos is an ancient member of the street gang in L.A. "Florencia 13". He wants to turn a new leaf, so he starts removing his gang tattoos : "There is the name of his gang, Florencia 13 or F13 (one of the largest in Los Angeles), written accross his neck in huge block letters and a large black spider ("Spider" is his street name) inked onto the side of his head"(l.12). It seems very hard for him to get out of F13 : "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). But Gabriel Hinojos looks like a brave man, he can handle any pain to leave his gang behind and start a new life, because when he has to remove his tattoos, "he grimaced in pain"(l.8). He even describes how it feels like so the reader can feel his pain too : "You know when you're cooking and the oil hits you? It feels like that, over and over."(l.9).
2. 'Ya'Stuvo' is a tatto removal center, who aims to help gang bangers to remove their tattoos so they can get out of their gang. This spanish name means "that's enough, I'm done with that" (l.2). The name of the center has a symbolical meaning, because if the gang members go to that center is only to erase their tattoos as they erase they life as a gang banger.
3. According to the text, the "black teardrops" stand for "a stint in prison or a person killed" (l.5). This tattoo simbolizes the number of people that the gang banger killed or it can represent a period of time in prison. These tattoed teardrops can maybe have a meaning : a gang banger doesn't suffer and doesn't cry even if he goes through terrible events. This tattoo could be a way to prove their strenght and courage.
4. This short sentence prove us that Gabriel Hinojos really wants to get rid of his tattoos to quit his gang once and for all. We can see in the article that Hinojos is going through a lot of pain to erase his tattoos but in spite of this, it's still his 45th to "Ya' stuvo". This shows his determination and his bravery.
5. Getting out of a gang is not easy : "Getting out of a street gang in L.A. is about like getting a tattoo removed ; slow, painful, scarring" (l.17). Even if Hinojos tries really hard to leave his gang, the latter will always leave scars on his body and in his mind. But it should be noticed that Hinojos has been rewarded for his efforts : "He celebrated his achievement by sipping white wine with former first lady Laura Bush at the White House"(l.26)
6. It is not always possible because the article shows us how deep the scars left can be : "In street lore, a gang banger can never leave a really brutal gang"(l.18). "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). Hinojos is making loads of efforts to move on but it is clear that F13 will always leave marks on him : "Some tattoos have faded into a faint collection of light gray lines, but they haven't gone away entirely". (l.14). Moreover, even if Hinojos was considered as the "poster child for leaving his gang life behind"(l.25), the end of the article says that "a few months later, he was back in jail"(l.27).
7. It can be feasible if the gang member has achieved a few conditions : first, he has to go through a stint in prison and then he has to show that he can seel drugs and use a gun.
8. It is very difficult to leave a gang accroding to Hinojos, because he misses the adrenaline that he felt and he's going through a lot of pain now to get all of his tattoos removed. Hinojos felt really good feelings when he was a gang member and now he's mostly feeling pain. Even if he knows that it's for the best, he misses the "old times".
9. The last three lines explains us that Hinojos was the perfect example of leaving the gang behind, so he met the former first lady Laura Bush at the White House. But in spite of this, Hinojos went back to jail. The temptation of feeling the adrenaline again was to strong that even after all his efforts, the attraction for the gang was to strong.
10. The photograph is showing us Hinojos who's getting his tatto removed. The laser looks really painful because of Hinojos'face. He's going through pain but he's handling it. Just like the article, the photograph shows the bravery of Gabriel and how the pain is not an obstacle for him. that he's going to leave his gang behind.
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