Mara Salvatrucha 13 Or MS-13?

Words: 464
Pages: 2
Open Document
The most notorious street gang in the United States today is Mara Salvatrucha 13, aka MS-13. Founded in 1980s by young Salvadorian immigrants who began to be tormented by other street gangs, they decided to retaliate. Mara is Salvadorian for “group” or “clique” while Salvatrucha is commonly known to mean “street smart”. Why 13? The founding members chose 13 when the Mara Salvatrucha aligned themselves with the Mexican mafia, they embraced “13” as part of their name out of respect, because “M” is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.
MS-13 members are almost always seen wearing either blue or black, or a combination of both. They often wear sports clothing that displays strategic numbers like 3, 13, or 23 some of their most worn jerseys are those of retired 76er superstar, number 3, Allen Iverson and his blue jersey. They’re …show more content…
MS-13 members identify themselves through various gang marks such as tattoos, graffiti, hand signs, and clothing. Members are known to use multiple tattoos, some, which are large enough to cover entire backs, however, others are small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. The size of the tattoo is occasionally a demonstration of the level of gang involvement with older or more respected members wearing the larger more prominent tattoos. Members joining straight from El Salvador generally have more distinguished tattoos than those who become new members in the United States. Graffiti is a very common way for many street gangs to mark their territories and boundaries. MS-13 is no different; graffiti is used by MS-13 to advocate their
Show More

Related Documents: Mara Salvatrucha 13 Or MS-13?

Ms-13 Essay

MS-13 final MS-13 History and Origins The Mara Salvatrucha gang originated in Los Angeles, in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in the neighborhood between Pico and Wilshire also know as the city's Pico-Union neighborhood. They immigrated to the United States Due to a 12-year civil war in El Salvador, which resulted in over 100,000 deaths and over a million refugees(www.ms13gang.com). The Salvadorian refugees and immigrants predominantly settled in southern California and Washington, D.C…

Words 1104 - Pages 5

The MS-13 Gang

is the MS 13 gang? Well it stands for Mara Salvatrucha which is commonly abbreviated as MS-13. However, to go into more detail it is a transnational criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles and has spread to other parts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. The majority of the gang is ethnically composed of Central Americans and active in urban and suburban areas. The gang was initially composed of refugees from El Salvador in the Pico Union neighborhood. The MS-13 gang leaders…

Words 1117 - Pages 5

Ya-Z The Role Of Organized Crime In The United States

this ability to adapt that allows organized crime to flourish. Global Perspective: a) United States (Mara Salvatrucha [MS-13]): Began in Los Angeles, California, and has successfully spread out to other parts of the states, Canada, central states, Mexico. They distinguish themselves by tattoos which cover most of the body including the face and have developed their own sign language. The MS- 13 criminal activities include drug trafficking, robbery, human trafficking, illegal immigration, assassination…

Words 244 - Pages 1

Gang Violence In Jails

hate on each other when they are more alike than they believe they are. Today, for instance, there are five main gangs that roam around the U.S. and maybe even the world. The Aryan Brotherhood, The Klu Klux Klan, The Folks, The Nation of Islam, and MS-13 are the most well known and most dangerous security threat groups that one can affiliate with. They all have their own founder, basic beliefs, and…

Words 1231 - Pages 5

Rational Choice Theory Vs Routine Activity Theory

will demonstrate the various similarities between rational choice theory and the routine activity theory. It will show the differences between the two theories. It will also analyze the similarities between two gangs, the Latin Kings and the Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13) and represent their differences. Name of first theory Routine activity theory was developed by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson is the volume and distribution of predatory crimes in a particular area and at a specific time one influenced…

Words 353 - Pages 2

Essay about Aliens Crime Con

HomeAboutContactMember Login Civitas ActionCarolina TransparencyCivitas Review Civitas Institute North Carolina's Conservative Voice Top of Form DonateTax Deductible Bottom of Form Polling Publications Articles Capitol Connection Civitas Review NC Public Policy Series Bad Bill of the Week Civitas Quiz Press Releases Events Poll Presentations Conservative Leadership Conference Resources Election Analysis Map Series Civitas Partisan Index 2012 Survey Responses Training Internships Media Audio Video…

Words 2666 - Pages 11