An autobiography about gang days in LA. Rodriguez explains his horrible life as a gangmember in the latino slums of Los Angeles. The first chapter deals with his uprigning. His brother Hosé, later known as Joe, does not speak english and is thought by the teachers not to admid to anything.
Chapter 2 - Luis grows up always running from police or gangs. His best friend Tino dies after he and Luis are chased at night by the police for trespassing on the school to play basketball. He joins a club, the impersonations, to protect himself from gangs, but he later ends up joining a gang called 'The Animal Tribe'.
Chapter 3- Rodriguez is known as Chin. In the Animal tribe, they face a drive by shooting and one of the gang members, Clavo, is shot in the eye. They go to a white beach where police, disguised as surfers, bust on them.
Book illustration of prison life
Luis Enrique Mejia
Crip handsign.He starts working at a carwash with his brother Joe. Luis joins another gang run by Yuk Yuk who start stealing.
Chapter 4 - Luis's brother Joe becomes an athlete, doing well in school, and playing bass in a band. Luis decides to play saxaphone. He buys one and learns the instrument, but Joe stomps on it after they have an argument. Luis goes to a fiesta and meets a beautiful young girl named Viviana. They spend the entire night together. He has to leave her because she is a lomas girl. The enemy of his group of latinos, the sangras. He works as a bus boy for a restaurant. Police come in looking for illegal immigrants, but fortuanaley he has his papers. He is expelled from school.
Chp. 5 - Chicharrón becomes Luis's best friend. He and Luis go to a party where Luis plans...