Store Stops Sale of Latino ‘Homie’ Figures

A Latino supermarket chain has removed gum-ball machines selling controversial Latino figurines from its stores after police and prosecutors complained the toys glamorize gang life.

“The Vallarta Supermarkets Family wishes everyone to know that it DOES NOT support violence or toys depicting violence and regrets this incident,” according to a written statement the company issued Tuesday. Vallarta, which operates 12 supermarkets in Los Angeles County, said it was not aware of the “Homies” sales until this week.

Law enforcement authorities praised the action, which followed by one day a story in The Times on the controversy over the popular toy, 1 million of which have been sold since hitting the market four months ago.

“I’m very pleased. I think the store did the responsible thing,” said Det. P.J. Morris, a gang expert with the Los Angeles Police Department. Morris works out of the northeast San Fernando Valley and began a crusade against the figurines last week. “I hope other stores will do the responsible thing and follow suit.”

Morris and others said the six collectible figurines, which are depicted in white T-shirts, baggy pants, bandannas and knit caps, clearly look like gang members and are not proper toys for young children.

The company that manufactures and distributes the toys could not be reached for comment.

But David Gonzales, the Northern California graphic artist who created them, reiterated that he did not create the Homies to glamorize gang life, but intended them to be cartoonish caricatures of “low-rider Chicano kids” who exist in Mexican-American barrios.

“I accept their right to discontinue this product if it doesn’t fit their company image,” Gonzales said Tuesday. “But it’s also my right as a businessman to make a product I think is OK.”

Over the years Gonzales has come up with 40 Homies characters--including a police officer, a priest and a chef.

Impulse Amusements, one of many companies that own local vending machines, said it will phase out the Homies line from its machines across Los Angeles County.

Jim Plescia, the company’s owner, said he pulled them from the Vallarta markets Monday and Tuesday because the store complained loudly after publicity.

“Every news media was camped out in their parking lot and they had to do business,” Plescia said.

He emphasized that the toys are also sold by other vendors in hundreds of supermarkets and stores across the county.

Some Latino community leaders defended Gonzales’ right to artistic freedom and criticized the police for jumping to the conclusion that a figurine of a young Latino man in baggy pants necessarily depicts a gang member. But others found the toys offensive, saying they portray the wrong image and should not be given to impressionable children.

Plescia said the Homies controversy has resulted not only in complaints but also in increased interest in the toys.

“We have accounts that are begging us for the product,” Plescia said. “But we’re removing the item. We can’t take a chance and upset our store owners.”