An El Barrio woman’s only chance of escaping her oppressive family is to fall in love with a hero, marry, and bear a child. She will only be able to leave her house after that. It is common for victimized street girls to decide to get married to escape oppression from their families. The absence of the girls’ fathers from daily household activities frequently influences the girls’ decision to take these drastic measures. Street culture may hurt families and influence how decisions are made by those affected (Bourgois 89). There is a sketchy neighborhood there, which makes residents of El Barrios frequently move out of their troublesome homes due to structural issues.
Any woman in El Barrio without special protections, in this case, being married to a hero, puts herself at risk of being attacked on the street. Drug use is a significant issue in El Barrio, which has led to most grown men being arrested for drug-related issues like dealing or using. These men spend their time in prison and hence are not financially and socially in their girls’ lives. This situation leaves girls vulnerable, and some even opt to start using drugs. Cases of these girls being gang raped while on drugs, even by their boyfriends and friends, have also been reported (Bourgois 379). There are practical solutions available, such as assisting mothers and encouraging fathers to avoid engaging in activities that can lead to them being sent to jail, thereby not actively raising their girls. It is possible to mitigate this by providing mothers with the resources they need to become more involved in their children’s lives, which can reduce street culture’s negative aspects. Promoting a positive street culture is another action that can be used to reduce violence in El Barrio.
Work Cited
Bourgois, Philippe. In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio Cambridge University Press, 2003: 377–379