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"Louie, you don't understand nothing, do you?"

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"I plunged the screwdriver into flesh and bone, and the sky screamed."

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"You just don't know what you're dealing with."

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"I wanted what Thee Mystics had; I wanted the power to hurt somebody."

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"When I was two years old, our family left Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, for Los Angeles."

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"She stood in line for the Ferris wheel, looking like delicate earthenware, glazed in honey."

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"Fine...who gives a f*ck what I want!"

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"And we hit them and they hit us, when does it stop?"

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"You seem like a tough dude. I'm sure you can take it."

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"I left before the teardrops fell...for fear they'd never stop."

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After sharing a passionate moment on her front porch, Viviana has told Rodriguez to go. He does not know why. But she knows that any possibility of a good connection between her brothers and Rodríguez is doomed because of their involvement in Sangra, a rival gang.

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As part of his initiation into Lomas, Rodríguez beats an innocent bystander after being severely assaulted in the same ritual. The initiation shows how human engagement in gang culture is exchanged for violence.

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A deputy informs Rodríguez about the meticulously planned procedures the LAPD uses to monitor minority children as young as 7 years old while he is incarcerated (at the age of 14 or 15). The deputy's remarks highlight the power of institutional forces that young Chicanos and other marginalized groups face.

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This quote was one example that can be used to highlight the thoughts that are commonly going through young men's heads. They feel almost a desire to feel disconnected and disenfranchised becuase of the appeal the grows towards gangs. Although the author was only 11 at the time, he still was so implusive to be involved in gang life.

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This single sentence is key to the story because it sets the idea and the tone for the rest of the text. Gives the reader an idea of what kind of background and history we're going to see from the main character. The author might've included this to color virtually the family experiences in the U.S.

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“We kept jumping hurdles, kept breaking from the constraints, kept evading the border guards of every new trek. It was a metaphor to fill our lives, the river, that first crossing, the mother of all crossings. The L.A. River, for example, became a new barrier, keeping the Mexicans in their neighborhoods over on the vast east side of the city for years, except for forays downtown."

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“It began with the pachucos. Most of the old-timers in prison, the pachucos of the 30s and 40s, were incarcerated becuase of chiva. Then every ten years or so a generation of ex-gang bangers became hooked. Now it was our time. Already, the older dued in the Trive were hypes, most of them behind bars.”

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“It didnt take long for middle income Anglos, primarily, fleeing L.A.’s inner city as it filled up with people of color, to move in and around these barrios and create the first suburbs. New tracts of homes suddenly appeared on the previously empty space or by displacing the barrios."

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"They dragged us handcuffed to the local jail, and took us into a small interrogation room. By now corina cried. Black dog talked back, acting up even as the cops poked blackjacks into his ribs. They separated him from the rest of us and took him first.”

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“As the first club concerned itself only with benign aspects of school life. But thr barrio realities, and the long-standing issues of inequality and neglect, kept rearing their heads.”

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Rodríguez talks about how he first saw Viviana, a stunning young woman who belonged to the opposing group Sangra and had three brothers. Throughout Always Running (which starts when he is 12 years old), the personal and societal dysfunction that is a part of gang culture always gets in the way of his sexual relationships.

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In his brief stay at Taft High School, Rodriguez says this to his English literature teacher. His remarks demonstrate how both his personal actions and the cultural drawbacks of being a Chicano immigrant in the US are contributing factors to his struggles to progress in life.

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Rodríguez is attempting to talk Puppet out of attacking Sangra violently. He will be greatly motivated to escape Lomas by his ability to reason and empathize, as demonstrated here.

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As she stitches Rodríguez's lip, the clinic doctor informs him that she won't use anesthesia. Rodríguez refuses to moan or even wince at the suffering because of his Chicano/gang macho mentality.

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Before Rodríguez heads to his hiding place in San Pedro, he makes a stop at Resurrection Cemetery, where a large number of people he knows have been laid to rest following tragic events. With this gesture, he hopes to bid a final farewell to a life he is finally leaving behind.

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-How did Rodriguez explore the complexities of identity, resilience, and the struggle for survival amongst adversity?

-What were the pivotal moments or experiences that shaped Rodriguez's growth or perspectives?

-In what ways does the book shed light on societal issues, such as gang culture, systematic racism, immigration, or poverty?

-How does Rodriguez use his personal experiences to address broader social challenges?

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-What lessons or insights from Rodriguez's story can we apply to current issues, particularly those pertaining to marginalized communities or the immigrant experience?

-How does Rodriguez's voice and perspective impact the reader's engagement with the story and its themes?

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-How did writing "Always Running" impact your understanding of your own life journey and experiences?

-What impact did you hope "Always Running" would have on its readers, especially those facing similar challenges?

-Since the book's publication, how do you feel your perspectives or attitudes toward the issues discussed in "Always Running," such as gang culture, systemic challenges, or the immigrant experience, have evolved or changed?

-How did you navigate the balance between personal storytelling and addressing broader societal issues within the book?

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-What new insights or perspectives did the book offer about topics like gang culture, immigration, or systemic challenges?

-How did his storytelling style impact my engagement with the narrative?

-How might the book inspire action or change in my community or understanding of others?

-How did the experiences and emotions depicted in the book resonate with or challenge my understanding of societal issues, and identity?

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"By age twelve, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of East Los Angeles gang warfare. Lured by a seemingly invincible gang culture, he witnessed countless shootings, beatings, and arrests and then watched with increasing fear as gang life claimed friends and family members. Before long, Rodriguez saw a way out of the barrio through education and the power of words and successfully broke free from years of violence and desperation.

Achieving success as an award-winning poet, he was sure the streets would haunt him no more — until his young son joined a gang. Rodriguez fought for his child by telling his own story in Always Running, a vivid memoir that explores the motivations of gang life and cautions against the death and destruction that inevitably claim its participants.

At times heartbreakingly sad and brutal, Always Running is ultimately an uplifting true story, filled with hope, insight, and a hard-earned lesson for the next generation."

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"The more we know the more we owe. This is a responsibility I take seriously. My hope in producing this work is that perhaps there's a thread to be found, a pattern or connection, a seed of apprehension herein, which can be of some use, no matter how slight, in helping to end the rising casualty count for the Ramiros of this worlds, as more and more communities come under the death grip of what we called "The Crazy Life".

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Born-July 9, 1954 (Cancer)

American Poet & Novelist

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Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez reads his poem to Los Angeles

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Instagram- @lrodrig555

Twitter- @luisjrodriguez

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Luis J. Rodriguez is an American poet, novelist, and activist. He is known for his writings exploring themes of urban life, gang culture, addiction, and social justice. Rodriguez's most notable work is his memoir "Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.", which portrays his experiences growing up in East Los Angeles. He is also the co-founder of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore, a creative space dedicated to empowering marginalized communities through the arts. He experienced a rough upbringing and went through many challenges with his family. At a young age, Rodriguez became involved with L.A. Gangs and later realized it wasn't the lifestyle that was meant for him. He spent years reinventing himself, doing good for the world through his writing and activism.

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This statement by Luis J. Rodriguez typifies the battles and obstructions looked by minimized networks, especially Mexican Americans in Los Angeles. The figurative language uncovers a steady battle to beat deterrents and getaway the restrictions forced by society. The reference to "bouncing obstacles" and "parting from the imperatives" addresses a ceaseless work to challenge and outperform the lines and limits put upon them. The notice of the L.A. Waterway represents an actual hindrance that isolated Mexicans from the remainder of the city, restricting their versatility and limiting them to specific areas. This statement features the versatility and assurance of people to rise above cultural impediments and look for a superior future.

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This statement by Luis J. Rodriguez reveals insight into the course of improvement and the uprooting of minimized networks in Los Angeles. It shows how middle-class Anglos, fleeing the growing diversity of the inner city, gradually overran the barrios and built the first suburbs. These novices, frequently profiting from financial benefits, exploited the accessible space by either building new lodging improvements or uprooting existing barrios. This statement addresses the foundational disparities and power elements at play, as generally minimized networks are frequently pushed out to account for prosperous people. It highlights the continuous battle for reasonable lodging and the eradication of social and authentic networks.

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This statement by Luis J. Rodriguez portrays a fierce experience with policing. The utilization of cuffs and the depiction of being taken to a little cross examination room bring out a feeling of oppression and fear. The notice of Corina crying delineates the close to home cost that these experiences can have on people. Black Dog's refusal to be silenced in the face of injustice is demonstrated by his resistance to the brutal treatment he received. Black Dog's separation from the rest of the group suggests that he was targeted and punished in advance. The harsh reality of police violence and the unequal treatment of marginalized people is made clear in this quote.

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“That night I slept in the “fields”. The next evening Yuk Yuk took me in, but after three days his mother demanded I leave. I then took a bus to downtown L.A. and walked the streets of Spanish Broadway, what the mexicans called El Centro.”

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In this quote, Luis J. Rodriguez relates a time of vagrancy and dismissal, featuring the difficulties looked by people battling with lodging insecurity. Resting in the "fields" recommends stopgap and unreliable facilities. The brief shelter presented by Yuk is unexpectedly finished by his mom's requests, showing the restricted help accessible. The choice to take a transport to downtown L.A. also, walk the roads of Spanish Broadway, known as El Centro, mirrors the strength and cleverness of the storyteller. It addresses the significance of local area spaces and the route of metropolitan scenes for minimized people looking for soundness and association.

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This quote reflects a generational pattern of substance abuse and imprisonment inside a specific local area. The notice of the pachucos, gangsters from the 30s and 40s who were detained on account of chiva (shoptalk for heroin), proposes that this issue has establishes previously. The statement recommends that consistently, another age of ex-gangsters becomes dependent on drugs, adding to the propagation of this damaging example. It likewise suggests that the more seasoned people in jail previously battled with substance misuse, illustrating the battles looked by these people and the moves they keep on confronting.

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“The Maravilla Kid’s United Teen Pugs were like everybody’s sick stepchild. Becuase of our lack of resources, we had this added pressure to be better.”

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This statement features the one of a kind difficulties looked by the Maravilla Kid's United Teen Pugs, stressing their minimized situation in the public eye. Depicted as "everyone's sick stepchild," it proposes that they were frequently misjudged or ignored by others. Their absence of assets strengthens the tension they feel to succeed, as they endeavor to demonstrate their value and defeat their hindered conditions. The quote highlights the group's sense of inequality and the additional burden they carry as they navigate a world that expects them to overcome obstacles and succeed against all odds.

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This quote speaks to the contrast between the focus of the first club, solely concerned with the positive and harmless aspects of school life, and the persistent realities of the barrio. Despite the club's initial intention to distance itself from the problems of inequality and neglect, these issues continue to demand attention and disrupt the scene. The quote demonstrates how difficult it is to ignore the pressing challenges faced by marginalized communities, as they consistently resurface and make themselves known. It highlights the importance of addressing these injustices and recognizing the impact they have on people's lives, even in contexts where they may be overlooked or disregarded.

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“Defense attorneys called me to the witness stand, and I related how I obtained the gun, how I got Dario to drive to the gray house, how there were already people shot when we got there.”

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In this statement, the author describes their experience being called to affirm as an observer in a lawful case. They have been contacted by the defense attorneys to provide their account of the events, particularly the purchase of a gun, their participation in driving to a gray house, and the shocking discovery that individuals had already been shot when they arrived. The statement recommends a level of complicity and information on the unfurling circumstance. It depicts an essential second in the preliminary where the speaker's declaration could fundamentally affect the result. This statement makes way for a strained story, leaving the peruser inquisitive about the speaker's job and the resulting outcomes.

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“The Communicators were to stifle any rumors. Stop any fights. Resolve any differences. The Communicators wore red armbands. We were excused from classes and allowed to roam the hallways and talk with students. The fights ceased after two days as the Communicators walked up and down the school espousing calm.”

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"The Communicators" is introduced as a group tasked with preserving school order and harmony. Their job is to smother any tales, forestall clashes, and intercede any questions among understudies. Recognized by red armbands, they are allowed the honor of being pardoned from classes and are given the opportunity to move about the foyers, taking part in discussions with their companions. The fights that had been causing problems in the school environment stopped in just two days, proving that this arrangement works. The statement epitomizes the force of open correspondence and the positive effect it can have in diffusing strain and cultivating a quiet climate.

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“Although my father had been jailed and falsely accused like me before he left Mexico for the United States, we never related our expereiences; he was a man of few words and I stopped expecting more.”

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This quote depicts the intergenerational quietness covering shared difficulties. The father and son's similar experiences with incarceration and false accusations fail to elicit conversation. Rodriguez's dad, an unemotional figure molded by his battles in Mexico, exemplifies hesitance. Their unvoiced equals uncover the impediments of familial correspondence and the getting through force of implicit versatility. The shortfall of verbal trade means implicit weights and an unfaltering strength that rises above words in the traveler's venture, featuring the clashing truth of unsurfaced stories inside the intricacies of familial ties and transient encounters.

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"Concrete River"

"America is Her Name"

"Make a Poem Cry"

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Poetry Center Book Awars

-2014-16 LA Poet Laureate

-New York Times Notable Book

-Founder of the Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural Organization