Homegirls, Hoodrats and Hos: Co-constructing Gang Status through Discourse and Performance

Abstract

Despite a growing literature regarding female gang membership, little is known about the ways in which gang-affiliated women negotiate the boundaries of gang membership. The current study, based on semi-structured interviews with twenty-four formerly gang-affiliated Chicana women involved with a prominent gang prevention/intervention organization, sought to understand how these women negotiated their interactions and understood their identity within the gang. Findings suggest that these women and the gangs in which they operate recreate broader gender norms that affect their standing and social mobility within the gang.

Keywords

• Chicana gangs
• homegirls
• gender performance
• street socialization
• identity construction
• cholo subculture.