Chicanos and Gangs

Re Ruben Martinez’s “Mexico’s ‘Little Americas,’ ” Opinion, Aug. 17: As an activist for the last 30 years, I remember when we started to use “Chicano” as a self-identifying word for Mexican men and women who were fighting for equality and justice in what were oppressive times. The struggles for voting rights, education and overall respect are what fueled us and why we called ourselves Chicanos.

Then, as now, we considered gangs as nothing more than predators and murderers. To have called gangs “Chicano-style” means to me that Martinez is either too young to have lived those days or does not know to differentiate between Chicanos and gangsters.

As Chicanos, we dedicated time, energy and in many cases our lives to better the condition of our people. Ignorant gangsters have nothing to do with Chicanos. They are totally separate entities, one working for the betterment of their people and the other self-centered opportunists.

JOSE FIGUEROA

Los Angeles