eo) Ga la sii2t|dg(e eeSera aii dh sec eee ner nls in cei SSL ae Miya! Scie Fa ee gape ingot, a Lane N. Lac, oC Sewanee BO CL tl mete TS Pe ea ata Sta Hr Rt Te Sr Ana ae . Pete Pace, Ad Hal Seid Nee eee ect ett, le Sel rao: A Nek Arash i Kr us Sn Nak Aa Mond A paat cSt Ati th Sel Some pees pose ein ce stn Te ce nh a ha Oe SE Zaire conte eng ay a ea dione ey Cent wes she cal psy of uh tt cone MS OS tml enc, edge es a, see CEESINRo te dcp fm rac! as eee prem ie CREUSET St dovennien epost econ tr nthe sera tie me ha dori BENE tang ate igo, where ha comeing ln eal nem npc a ipa cage ey sa sw nett ca ech a Alt etna or den of es cae erica Tiegh the taal pompne is become ey ESET ae na the wl eee Sc ot hve 2 core ‘iets yr ple pve ch wth wc 2 ale ee Dy enn biomes raul ots 0 we pe, te Sim! oe peo ceoape heat is ey ui poh Mak Gomer IN SEARCH OF RESPECT Selling Crack in El Bartio ES ciesas *) J PHILIPPE BOURGOIS AS Son rami Sate Unie ey centRone nesicaciones "ESTUDIOS uFEH AES EW {ANTROFOLOG 500 BIBLIOTECA 00081871 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS2.298 BS orate geo ne Bo Tare rettnas cat” For Nano Canoe any P99 nr neti Saran ceael areca «serge Ha a-ak En fn ete oie ee Ya soarserngn nae 990CONTENTS: Adswuledgnets Aseodcton Violuing Aparchsid in che United States A Seret History of I Barto, Crockhouse Management: Addiction, Discipline al Dignicy ‘Goi! Legit: Disespece and Resisance at Work Sool Days: Leaning to be a Beter Ceiminal Recrawing the Gender Line onthe Seeet amis and Chien in Pain alae Fathers Concasion Epilogue Nate Bibiarapy Inds agen 19 8 23 239 2 a8 a 339 365 oyACKNOWLEDGMENTS | wou like to bepia by Aanking my friends and neighbors in El Barrio foe participating i eis bok, and for welening me 0 openly ino thee lives I changed everyone's name and camoiaged the street arses £0 proect individual privacy. Above all, F wane to chick my close fiend ‘whom I hve called Prime in dese pages. He followed my work since the beginning, and he guided euch of i. His comment, comectios, and lacustios on che ballon versions of che manuacip, that he read or listened co, were most helpful. The acer majoe characte, whom T have called Cac, aio provided ie with aalyial insights and ritique on ‘rious early dats of this Book. Simiaty, che petro I have named Candy was exraocdnarly elpfl and supportive thoughout the Bld. wor: process and ia the eaely sages of writing. The woman I clled [Mari provided me wich comments and moral suppor sgh tough che ‘ery al phases f writing chi book 1 also want co thaok the fllowing iatitutions for eheir generous ‘nancial support: she Har Frnk Guggenheim Fousdation, the Rael Sage Founation, she Social Science Research Council, che Ford Founda- ‘on, the Natioa Instirate on Drug Abuse, che Weoner-Geen Founda: tion for Anthropological Research, che United States Bureau of the Census, and ny ome institution, Sin Francisco State Univesicy ~ ‘with special gratitude ¢o Marilyn Boer, the Vice-Presiden of Academic Ais, Brian Masphy, the Ditecor of Exteral Aas, Joe Julian, Dean ofthe Cllege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and my ealegues inthe “Ancheoplogy Department who had 10 accommodate my frequent ee- search Ives over the pst sex years. I append having natueonal ‘escatch aflations with The Reseach Insure for the Seay of Man, ‘the Centro de Estudios Pucroriquesos of Huser College, ColombiaAckles Univenicy’s School of Archiscture and Urban Planning, and the San Pragcitco Sate Urban Inst Tam gotefl 20 Marc Edelman, Robeet Merton, Eric Wolf, and specially Laie Wacquant, who gave geneous of thee time ro provide fre with deiled,lie-by-ine eiques of substantial portions of the Tanwcripe, Douers of orker fends, sadn, colleagues, and mentors he read dfs of this book ~ ora leat heard potions of its cena uonens. Many useful insights or points of information were conveyed tert unifloral coveraions after seminars, clases, and conference, ‘Oe even at partes. Sore of the feedback wat civic, and U did Says incorporate icin the ext, be [am thankful for is constractve Cagagemeat fn shi cin, 1 shank: Ria Benmayor, Pitre Bourdie, Lin ‘Camlean, Charo Chacin-Ménder, Kates Colvad, Joba Devine, Aany Donovan, Elise Dunlap, Angelo Fan, Reyeolds Farley, Patricia Fer finder Kelly, Gerry Floersch, Michel Giaud, Laurie Guns, Raméa Guerre, Charles Hale, Robest Kelly, Archur Kleinman, Seve Koester, ‘Boronio Laurie Petcceli, Gloria Levies, Michell Teviss, Roberto Lewis Ferindes, Jeff Longhoter, Peter Lucas, Burton Maxwell, Susan cic, Sol Pees, Alejndeo Poves, J Quesada, René Ramis, Tony Ramos, Rayoa Rapp, Peggy Regler, Anconio Rivera, Robero Rivers Franeisco Rivea-Bais, Clara Redeguez, Ulysses Sancaracs, Siskia Sa fen, Nancy Scheper-liughes, Jane Schneider, Carol Smith (and all she frricipans inher Hemispheric Lnitaives in the Americas seminar erin, Rebete Smith, Cal Taylor, Rosa Toruellas, Fak Vardi, Joe Wallan, Eric Wanner, Wiliam Julies Wilson, Tetry Wiliams [owe a gen deal to lk Granoveter,theseies editor a Cambridge, ‘who inervened on my behalf with comments and soppore at a crucial ‘hase inthe writing when I was despairing of ever Binising. My i fous edivrs at Cambridge ~ Emily Looe, Rachel Winfee, Russell Hah, and especially Elabeeh Neal~ were ls exeemely help. The Copyeditor, Nancy Landa, gest improved the nal quality ofthe ex, Catching dozens of barring eots nd cleaning up sn told umber of awkward sentence costrtions “The manuscript could nor have Bae produced without the typing and ‘mocioul support of Hald. Ort and especialy Charles Postion, who Inve both become clos rend, despite aut having been obliged co work. side by side for 90 sony anwirySlled months. Osher people who o> Wide crucial esearch and logs support at che Resell Sage Found Acknowledgments con inde: Sue Decknaa, Hen Fett, Janes Gray, Clay Guse, Bunce Ini, Poline Jones, Pain Maer, Paine Resi En Sone Madge Spin, Camille Yes, Hong Xs, an dene ick Av San Franco Sete Unive, Thre Lvl kindly proved me wich afer compute cera feqne hil ale Ae the Recah Inte fr the Sty of Man, Hotece Rives Tai es of sv hel. Teaing Pitt Thor's Dav Tho Mao Sits when {was nigh schol placed he sed or thi ook. Tome hi» db or making ‘me conone poverty ra, an dog in the iy wher geno ei {pci bor sad plese me org ove aon topblsh on pugs the fx he se me aang mame Sesto ei bs Fey tne wo ehank my family wlauys be patel ro Charo hn Mie fo imigeting tn Cvs Rie ily oH Bac, ‘where we uid che very esening of tic oi Help {er iahable dng oar msdn he neighbor and Ua ol Spots formal ee or ving posed so ch asic on het when Urepy syed ow al ight onthe set, dn cmb ‘iy yr GE HBr He eo oe he se. Hs cere ply wat i dngoned y ae, tera ine in ce clinic fw Hci rom ou ener pct ‘hari ements it woe cil sl, wee erly forged by the cen with which be cae pec fo hist Fram even he og ser aes on our back. He mcd everyones ear we pro suing eo te hin mle ce broken sncwaes Iter with rk vi Beer yet, ll Cog the en Hotcing ey, fll of ep an ub, Non eed thet il living ht only reeaod samehing-earatishoow the secret He ele ne ppc sme ef che oof lito thee ‘My moc and fee were ao supportive thugs de ech snd wing oti Bk, se hee ht ny meer hs wld trad alone crcry wkd fap ee wile wc the South Bro with ley progam, ba ha »derp unconscious ef ony wae, In he ene ny ny fcr povided eit the sender eapscnce of growing up as & New Yoke in «balun Sowa. He typrclly Fench cnsaot citi of US. cal and ‘eabbonen ofthe ees om acs equal a New YorkAcknoeledgments City were wonderfal ancdotes to che salfing ideological pempectives ‘ha those of us who grew up a the heir ofthe Cold Wars rhe United Suter were bombueed with Perhaps te fact chat he escaped in 1944 Thom ane of the Ibe amps ous Auschwie instil in me a8 4c 1 rcaminaion o document ineiatiralize’ racism and born age Jay oma lifetime, and in iy ow hometown, Son Francie Urb asta Son Frame Sa Usersity Drsomber 1994 Inte, con, Vox fo gu ihe ha hie wp dik tide a pe si sch es gu oe betel hen ‘ing stryke sing bis Cae gra slemnes Haba se bck net uci ny Shine sont | Rane ShomasINTRODUCTION Mao, {doe lame where Tm at ight row on nbody a br mpl 1. was forced into crack against my wil. When I fst moved co ase irl ~ "BL Barrio"! —as 4 newlywed in the speing of 1985, 1 wat ooking fo a inexpensive New York City sparmen fom which I coud ‘wire + back om the experience of powerey and eee sepeeatioa i the Inare of ove ofthe mos expensive cites inthe world. On the level of theory, [was iterated ia the polital economy of inner-city set calture. From a pesool, poli perspective, [ wanted probe the ‘Ackles heel ofthe sickest induacilized nation inthe world by docu menting how i imposes rail segregation and economic marginalization cn 3 many ofits Latinale and Afian- American cen. T chought che drug world was going co be only one of the many ‘heres I would explore. My original subject wat the entire underground (onened) economy, ‘fom curbaile car repaiing and baby-sitting, t0 unlicensed off-ack erring and drug dealing, 1 had never even head of crack when | Starved in the neighborhood ~ no one ew about this parcular substance yer, Beeause this brite compound of eucine and baking soa proceed into ecinely smokable pelles was not yt va ables a masemackered product? By the end ofthe year, however, mot of my fiend, acighbors, and acquaintances had beer swept inc the ‘muleilion lle cack cylone sling i, smoking, Fetring over 1 followed them, and 1 watched the mur tate in the proj opposite my crumbling tenement aparement spiral ato coe of he highest in Manhactan.? The sidewalk infront of the burnedour abandonedIruraction building and ehe eubbish-ateown vacane Toe flanking each side of my enemene began to ceonch with the sound of empey crack vis Underton. ‘aimee deca Inter, a this book goes co pres, despite ee debaes of he “nag experts" over whuther or not the United Stes ces a severe drug problems” this sme sidewalk continges to be licered with dros omahrnatia The only fence in he mid-ro9es that wed hypoder eectncedes ie alongside spent crack vials i che gutter. Heroio has ‘Rhone crack and eonine as pemary dug of choice avaiable i the Inner ity imeratonal suppliers of heroin have regained hei Jose marke share of subsesnce abe by lowering tet prices and inctesing the quay of eee produce.” The Undrrand Ecowmy “This book aoe about crak, drugs, pees. Substance abuse in che Taner city i merely a aymprom — and a vivid symbol ~ of deeper joo of social marginalization and alienation, OF course, on an ‘Gumaticly visible personal level, addiction and subance abuse are mong the mse ined, beual es shaping daily life on the tet ‘Mont imporeany, however, ce ewo dozen sect defers and dei am Ties shat befriended were not inteeeed se lking primarily about dogs. On the conti, they wanted me co lam all abou cei daily Sreagales fr subsistence and gniy tthe poverty lise “According co the fal sexes, my seighbors onthe sree should have been homeless, starving, and diesed in rags Given the cost of Ting i= Manhatean, ie should hve Been imposible for most of chem £0 ‘fol tent and inal grocers and still manage pay cei electcity nd pur ills According £0 the 1990 cessus, 39.8 percene of local resides in Ease Harlem ved below the federal poverty line (compared to a6 3 percent ofall New Yorker) wich atom of 62.1 percent ceiving less than twice offal poveryteeliacomes. The Blocks immeiately rounding me were signin poorer with half ofall resident flog teow the poverty line” Given New York City pices for essential gods tad services, this means that according (0 offal economic mesures tril ee Ialf the popultion of El Barco should aoe be able to meet thee subsistence ned Ta fcr, howeree, people ae oe starving on a massive sae, Ashough | any eldely resides ane many young children do noe have adequate Ievoducion Se a ee eel ee ee ae ee ee eee eee epee Se enya ie ety a a Se eee ‘cats in front of my tenement. " eee Eee as eee oa Se eee see eer ere ae er ae anaes See ad ee a nce ne ees ee aes felon eee ee eee ee ee ep ee eee es stake cert ne oe Srey ter pete gear poo fu ofthe mow sabe, ltillonda sec ofthe booming ee eee eee ee ee eect erates Dee a ee eee ra eee eed ert atone ay eee other income-generating opportunities, whecher legal or illegal.” pe ae Se epee ae arose ere Seopa pagal ea eta aoa oe a enaIntradction dow, in one of sever! loa “pill mills,” a doctor wrote $3.9 eilion Noah of Medicaid prescriptions in only oe year, ceiving neatly $1 lea for bir series, Ninery-four percent of is “medicines” were on the Department of Social Services List of frequently abused prescription lage, Most of these pills wete retailed on the comer or resold in bulk “Tents to plutmacis. Righe on my blk, onthe second fon above the cnckhouse whewe I spent much of my fee tate a aight, another inky cline dapensed sedatives aod opiates eo Hacks of emacined ads Wie vated in detept huddle forthe arse oes the lini’ uniden nd meal pats and tape 9 handwritten calboatd DOCTOR 1 1 sgo t0 Cihice business Beeuse ic wis ever eded by the authorities, In the prices opposite weve, the New York City Freeing Rechorty police avtested a ify-veyenr-old mother and het Feo. and seen yard daughters while they were "bagsing” ‘lengone pounds of caine iar $12 quarergram “jumbo” vials of Siceed produce woeth over $t milion oa the sree. The police found $25,000 eh in spall denomination bls in his sme parent. Tn oxhes words, millions of dollars of business cakes scones throw of the youths growing up in East Harlem enemeors and owing proces Why should dese young apen and women ake the subusy eo wo sinimarm wage ‘Roe in downnown aes when they can usually etm more, at sei ‘fe shore ron, By selling deuge om the sect corer in fre of hei ramen ot achool yard? In fac, 1 am always surpeisd that s0 my aeciey amen and women femtin i the legal economy and work nine ove plus ovetene, barely emaking ers meet. According 0 the 1990 Conosof Bat Fler, 8 perent ofall males and 35 perce of Females Gar anteen were employed in oficilly reported jobs, compared £0 a CTywade avernge of 64 pecent fr men and 49 percent for wormen? fn the cons tests surrounding my aparcment, 35 percent fail men over fixeen yets of ae (1,925 00 of 5,647) and 2 pxcen of all women Shae sheen (2,307 out of 4626) were working legally in officially ‘arose jobs An addcinal 7 perceae ofthe civilian abot force was homployed buescively looking for work compared ro 16 perce for El aes ae whole, and 9 percent forall of New York City “The difeulty of making gestions about inner-city seb hoods on she basis of official U.S. Census Bureau ssi cannoe be Mnokeumrcovesed window. 1 never foond out che voune of this i ene pill sor even double miniqurm wageInsrsduson eremphisted. Stdies commissioned by the Census Bure eciate Mhar bepeeen 26 and peveae of Asian-American and Latino men in aparece sens and carly ewenies are missed y che Census, Many of ‘hese iveeats purposely hide eee whereabouts, Fearing reprisals for involvement in the undetgrovad economy.'" A. good example of che images of concealment in the inne city provided By @ 1988 New Jou Cay Housing Authoriy (NYCHA) repoct, which calculates chat Wetferese more people Lied om thee premises chan wee officially peed in the fica rll The Housing Anthoricy aie at hit vceumece of overcrowding” by cas-tabuating sais fom che Wel- tae Deparment an the Bord of ation with che intease im expen rae ep thls muintenance depusmenes-” On the blocks immediately ‘Mrcunding my tenement a age den of bow many men were missed by wre Conus pevided by the imbalance becwsen males and females over iSceeyats of ages 3,647 wees 4,626, In oer woe, if one asomes Teja ec of mae females, 979 men, oF 27 presen of ee number Ranked, were rising. In New York Ciey 26» whole, 18 perenc more searveesintan yeats of age would have ben needed fo cere co be # ‘fer balance between ate males ad females, Usig cis sme yarde PeAk of omen to armen in El Barrio a5 a whale 56 percent of all men were ised” ‘Toe shtulty of etimating de sie ofthe wnderground economy ~ et alone drug dealing ~ i even thoriet. By defnision, no Census Buco dus owes on the subjes. Beceuse fever households Han individuals ae vase by the Cenmas in urban sectings, one posible mesure for ehe sae rie underground economy i he Bute fr househols that declare 20 veage ov lary income.” This provides only he very roughest compare- inc nese fe the sizeof the underground econo i ifferent neigh- bres because some bouacolds survive exclusively om eiement n= aoe ot on sey legal self-employment revenues. Farcermore, this pony Bgere measure drug dealing even more cenuusly since many, stage soe of those bosch tht ely om she unease economy f Popplementl income, wore a legal tasks and shun drugs, Convers, carn people faolve in she usergrownd economy also work a legally ‘eclaed job, Nevertheless, one has ro asume chat a high proportion of fouehotde mith no wage ov salary income probly rey on some combi- rion of waxed, undeclared income in order ro continue subsisting, hd chat drug dealing represents an eapotant source ofthis supplemental ‘ pied nai am Now Yoh Cay Dyan oy Panny, opin Ein 1972 Au 25, ov Yl ay Dati Pani 1979 “Table 1. Compoatioe Sil Indicators by Nuighlrbnd fro 1990 Cons Nh cay nt ay Mn 98 | i aIneracton income, In any csc, scoring c oficial Census Buren statistics, 40 varant of all households a Fl Baio 38 whole secved 90 ley Tear wages ox salary, coma ro 26 percent for New York ity a5 & cae sthe blocks immediate suconding my apartment wee probably Sicily more enmeshed in the underground conom), with only «6 sae at ehe 3,995 households reporting wage oar income. The Pefemage of Nowetolds ecrving pubic asaance is another wef arse ar gauging the elves of the underground economy, since Do paar old cas survive on wellaealoge and any legal income reported by everchold meeiving public asiance is dedoced fom its biweekly ‘On the blocks TEtunding ay ecnerene 42 percent of all households ecived public serearce Compared to 34 ferent in Base Harlem as « whole and +3 Freer forall hows so New York Ci." ‘pales check and is monthly fod seems allcme Strat Calb: Restane and SifDsracion “tne ongwish of growing up poor in che richest city in che world & i paned by the cular asl that El Barro youths often face when epPttnmae ove af ei neighbothond, This has spawned what cll rosea secet culture” a compler aad conictual web of belies ‘Ritts odes of neaction, valu, and welogi hat have emeged saeanpesiios eo exlusion From mainsteam society. Seer culate ofes arreative four fr autonotnous personal dignity. In the perculat mae ot the United Sees, che concentation of sally marginalized silane sar politally an ecologically isolated inaet Pk comeguesiy conto he condicinn fe pti senate af soa ation the United Sees by pre rer cea, utesre slapd he ab WO caer ree by he peers theraces tothe pots, ne THES dm trates etal underning of he US. ey eine my cor pune, and by peating the Kes ad 2 en of the ck dale» sano chat eps che URE Rive srt! opps and india extn, Bulag eer famewonc olen podctin they md avin iment {hope to ste te agony of eulte,theaonmy of slut enaity of gens doses pee £08 sre emma uestnalg th experince of eset Pe Talc mugiainagon sn be rb Weta Ste SUT Ted cay nl, evs cece escch etigus ci tn Camus Buea sais oc endo sae aspirin races th any dept of acc he ele wh uve ROWE Gklageund conmny vad mach thse who elo eke Siett Sg By denen, adds bo ave Ben iad a eae and clay hve hl aegie lange TEES Sin mumtcom sy Mow dag es an eer ie serves cf mane sci and wil at ral tei inmate CEILS Wctsune sue or cml ecerpis fo # sant 09 serene wo wae Dw save of Henly ee meri see Enmanuiy, man ofthe enna ad slg wh siggy aden pdemilogi see once and bce anes beans. Incr ane drs ot have bea dg delet SPRING ie eh dee one ic sci, ven Slane nets or emp, esl nee 9 “used eon Ser es when they Ene hei dens coe ts ope cn weer somone wh specie i ming ety tee ites wih crt hts on sore ome REN rman “The purcpunt-observation ethnographic recniques developed pri- Irani rily by cultural snehropologists since che xg2o are beter suied than exlasively quantitative methodologies for documeatig the lives af [people who live on the margins f= society thar is sie eo them. Only by establishing long-teem telaionships based on erst can one begia to ssi prowocarive personal questions, and expect shoughvul, scious an- fee. Eehoogaphes usally live in che communities they sed, and ‘hey establish long-sem,ongenic relationships wich dhe people chey write shoot. In otier words, in order to calle “acurace dat,” ethnographes biol the canons of positivst reser we became inimacely involved with che people we sey ‘With this goal im mind, U spent hundeeds of aghts on ee street and tn cracknouses observing dealers aod adits. I regulely ape-recoded their conventions and ie histori, Petaps mote important, H also ised thee families, tending paris and sneimate reunions ~ fom ‘Thankspviag dianers co New Yeu's Bve celebrations. 1 interviewed, and in many caer becnded, the spose, lovers, slings, moche frandmoches, and when possible ~ the fathers and sepiathers ofthe tac, desere Fstred i thee pages. | also spene time in the lager ommaniey interviewing lol politicians spd attend institutional inectngs “The explosion of postmodemist theory in anthempoogy ia the ros androgen has critiqued the myth of etbuogeaphic authori, and has ‘Senounce the bicrrchica police of represetaion rhe is inherent anthropological endesvors. The slt-conscious teflexivcy called for by Pstndegnets wae expecially necessary and wel im my Cae: I was an ‘utsidr fro he larger say's dominan cas, eehnicey, and gender ‘acgories who was actempring to stidy dhe experence of Hanercity poverty among Puerto Ricaas. Once agin, my concers over these omplicted sues are conveyed in my contextuliaion and editing oF the tpe-ecorded ceachouse convertion. In fit, they ae eet in the very srsrare of the bole ‘While editing chousandof pages of transcriptions I came ro appreciate the deconsrutinine cliché of "culture xe tet.” [also became acutely aware of the contradiceony colabortive matte of my seach satey. ‘Alehough the erry quay and emciomal fre ofthis book depends ftiraly on the arriculate wonde of the main charcers, I have always Ind che fal sayin how ~ and if — dey would be conveyed ia the Sal product."radeon Having sd ee specter of poveseuctral theoreti etiques, {must pow espace mi dismay at she profoundly elt cendenies of many onmoderise approaches, Decostructons “poles” usually confine Frenette eo hermetically sled academic discourses on the “poetics of sremtimeaction, oon cihés devord co exploring the elaonships enueen sh and ocher_ Although postedern echnogeaphers often cam Pe sutresive, their contesation of authority focuses on bypelterae gues of form sheough evocative voabularies, pay sya, and felpphonoss veces, ter shan 00 crgaging wth ansible dil strug Fle Pevemoden debe tiie alienated suburbenseed inellccals they are completely out of touch with ehe urgent social cries of the rer stay unemployed. Scholarly scl-recion ofen degenerates inc Mcisisci celebrations of pivlege. Most important, however, radical ‘Feromatucconsen makes i imposible eo eaegotize ot pronize experi (haw of injuice at oppetsion This subty denies che very real prsonal ‘lpeonce af pin and ulin chat imposed soil and stucurally cre ae, cls, gender, sexuality and other power-ien cateporis. Trnespecive ofthe pty theotetice infighting, of academic intellect als, the unigue isighrs provided on che methodological level By the cane abservation techniques of cultural ashopology are fasher Fought with Fundamental analytical and political tensions. Historically, lEivmrapers have avoided ackliag taboo subjects such a personal jolene, semua abuse, action, alienation, and self-dstuction, Pare ‘hehe problem is roted in anhropolog's fnetoealist paradigm, which ropes onder and community ons reeach subjects, Farhermore, che ‘ettaologieal lopsis of prtcpaion-ebsereation requires reseschers Ta be phyialy present and personally evolved. This encourages them fo over negative dyoamice because they aecd 10 be empatheticaly Clasnned wd the people they study and must also have tei permision Tanke ith them. This leads can snconscious selEcensoship cha ‘Mapes dhe esearch seeing a subj anthroplogiss choose to stud Te caster eo abeain the “informed comet” ofthe individ one ning aboue i ome is addcessing elaively hares, “gui” subjects. Trnally, ona sore personal evel, excreme settings fll of oman raged, fc ache sets of Ease Harlem, ar psychologically overwhelming and {an be physically dangerous "Anthropology obmston with dhe “evorie oder” has discouraged an- anaoasirsse Inrodaction hropslogits fom studying their own societies and pts chem at ssk oF fsocczing what they Bnd wea they sudy close to home: hence, 1 used myset consciously in this work rom a voyewistic celebration of Secet dealers and inner-city sree culture. The dearth of ethnographic teveh on denstiting urn poverey, espailly fa the 19725 and 1980s, {Sao related co the fear — addterad eaiot ~ of seccumbing to a pormogmiphy of violence that reinforces popular sacs cercsypes. Most fechoograpers offer sympathetic readings ofthe celeure oe people they Sra. ladeed, tis sensbrinedm the fuadanena anhropolgiel tenet (of coltural relative: Caltates ate never good or bad ey simply Ive fn oteroal logic. In fez, however, suffering i usualy hideous i is 2 Solvent of human itegiy, and ethoographers never wast co make the peopl they sty lol gly. Ths imperative wo sonivize che vulerale i Porcculsly song io che United Sars, where suvivalof-ae-fcest, blame-the-vctim ehecies of individual action constitute a popula “com- mon see." The result [have noted, i due ethnographic present fon of social marginalization ate almost guaranteed ro be mise by che general public through a conservative, unforgiving lens. Ths has sci tly limiced the ability of inellecnni ro debare sues of poverty, hn daciminssion, and immigration. They ate caumataed by the [eneral public's cbesion with personal wore sd racial determinism Tn the United Seats there aze Few auances in che populse understand ing ofthe slationahip berwcen social sacral conseraints and inivid- tal ue. Asa esl, inellecenls have eteted fom he Fay and have ‘ncefleively latched onto positive epresentations ofthe oppressed chat those who have been poor, or lived arnong the poor, know 10 becom pletely uatealisc.Inded, I have noticed this when presenting che main Erguments of this hook in academic settings, Progressive and often ‘tual aaionalie collegues who aze almost alvays mide clas ~ ‘fen seem 1 be incapable of heating the arguments Iam making Instead, some veaeinotrage at supercal images taken ov of conte. is as if ehey ae so cried ofthe potential for “negative commotion. ‘hac they fel compelled to suppress complex, unplesane messages eft ‘ven listening <0 hem. Leoniclly, many of thee crticsms i chese publi academic tings embody ceatal dimensios of precisely hat Em crying eo convey 1a these pages aboue the individual expeience of social erctral oppression,Anorsdacton Giiguing te Coli of Pry Baro andthe Peto Rian experience in ee United Ss hs Ber Sagmpornly geste. Peto Recs hee been eee oo rare bi fee uneood repl the Uaited SUCLT Gator mor etnogaphie work nl Baro 1 eee ste aaron nas Osa Levi La Vide the ideo ad Fey the tle inert in eta eto nd see ay ce sues mr spc fact, La Ve wel a8 ee es Mepis 1965 reper on de Neg Broly te eae ese te mais Ge ce + genet ofc eer sudyng the ne iy Lei call thwsands of ages Tre tes or oe tee Pot Rican fy ih 1 ee se ace inte pron. The ele = re ha he deeapd at of tis ~ and ther ~ ethogarle Be ee etd snes exciiey on he patiogy of ee oe oa arin ef ess ves i bebe so i hin amie, Leite appech red in he Pein sade rune ured to dinate acooly 0 Se seer Me in oe fw. hiy, clare, a poles ono ree smut he ie a ini, With ee aranae of sic te tiie Lewis for his ove simpli Tera enok Chas epi, cial srimmacan, =08, of se eoppeeion, ns well athe in of cone er ere tli Lewis eolgily ecton- SERED Saprly poe Poo Ren mmgens Neri irate fala gr, Lets compelingy wien bk rer el Bar an these of Pe Rico Became = Cae he Une Sexe, where rooted ith Prcatane eS seks aged nian and pea pony DEAS Aes pons plc tet ad hs penal 7pm PS any ein, cv sept hs vohime cooing Fee ctrempt fe he tw pov tat permet U.S Soin. TOE, scien tae twas an atropolgit who cine he concept be cerca eer a fo dat colon on nivel be SOE pec eo the daiptines methodology ~ po estan est ce documenting vid! ates in 6 Iniradaction minute deal, Stratus of power and history cannor be touched ot talked vo. Specify, in she New Yor Ciy Puerto Rican context, the Selfleseactve daly life of toe who ate surviving an ee sret needs to be contexruslied in che pacar history ofthe hostile race reins tnd sruerurl economic dislocation they have fed. Embrcled in what seemed ike a whispoo! of suffering dutiag my ethnographic research, it tres often hard fr me to ste the larger ratonshps stwcuring the Jumble of ama interaction all arcund ine Inthe fest of daily Lee the sets of EI Bario I often experienced confusing anger with the ictims, the vicsimizes, and. che wealhy indusialzed sociery that oveates such an unnecessary large eal of human suring For exam ple, when cononed with 2 pregoane fiend fanialy smoking crack ~ fod pombly condemning er Furare baby eo if of shared emarions tn dled brain celle it did good for me to remember the history tf her people's colonial oppression and humiliation, oF co contextualize hee position in New Yorks changing economy. Living inthe ifero of that che United Seats ells is “underclass,” 1, like my ovighors round me and like the poegnane crak addiees cerselves,ofen Blamed ‘he victim Poll economy analysis noc # panacea to compensate fr individ alist, acs, o otherwise jdgtnenl interpretations of seca marginal ‘asin, In fee, 3 focus on serra often obscue ce fic ehae humans fe actie agen oftheir own history, tithe than passive victims. Een lroplic mecha allows the "pwns of lager Saucer forces ro emerge ‘el oman beings who shape thee own furs. Neverthe, Loften ‘Gugi ayc ling back on rigidly seactrlsepespctie inorder to void the painful details of how rel people hate chemselves and thet lowed ones in tei erate for survival in daly Hie. Again, this aalti= Galan political prblem can be undentood within the conext of the ‘hori debare over seracrare versus agency, this the relationship bbaweun inivihal responsibilty and social stracturl consents. The insights fom culeural peadction theory ~ specially, the notion chat suet culture's resistance ro social marginalisation i dhe contditoey ley wo is detractve pets ~ is usefl to evoid reductions seractral= ‘¢ ineeprctations, Through cltral pracices of opposition, individuals tape the oppression that larger force impoe pon them. "The difulty of relating individual action eo poiial economy, com= bine with the persoally ana pitialy mocvated vimidiy of ethoogt-Irsrsdaton pes inthe Used Sues hcugh she 97a and oes ve obsted rae nding ofthe mechan and experiences of oppenion Mame the secur ero agency debate: or can OnLy ae ei reno ar ht ha ede wl mone crane my aging the poor a bad se.” Newel, 1 fl eee om sper and shicl psec, as well fom an ore ebereal one, ro expe te hoo Twines among the aes Mtiendl, without cenmeing even the Borst decals" The Fer Ad oeelming pita estr of ee experience of potty ah se che United Sear aces to Be talked abou openly el com TORE "Tyuely een if that kes uacomfouble have doo ome ange of sags tue te un poor deve 0 ape OF eenich he wrctures ef seteation and aration ha nap sree iaing tive eeregit that esl io siniced sfeng, 1 ED ante hsinthe hope ht "ancoplogiea weing in Be 2 ie te Ghee and ich ee comicton tat cial setts shold, aed seen power A she same ie, a aed oe, I contin € Sey ib the polealimpaons of expenng the inate dc of To TRe'e In por an ower the seer pic, Unde Shntpnhe micncopeevesyone his wat and anyone in be ad £2 CADRES Stoner furthermore, ste aehpolgit Lre Nader TOAG ceccay nthe ety cov, "Done stad ee oot and pow See Sati you above item will be ws punt them. Sour aow fis posi forme pre he ery of my te sod AIT Sr sesdene i aro wae ing ey eo poeeeraphy GPhone, or a cit oye ~ alautly the problem and the ‘Spun sao the cys of he bl plnenteitacanncacasacasseinesii VIOLATING APARTHEID IN THE UNITED STATES ‘We ln lieing 10 you tlk It makes us ah. You sound jt ike 2 teleion adverse laging igh ears My esearch on he steers of Spanish Harlem almost came oa disastrous ni jus ater the blwy poine whea I inadvertently “esrespeceed” Ray, the man who owned the cackhouses where I spent much of ry cime between 1985 and 1990. Few ut after midhight and Ray was visiting this most proable tls pone to anak se the manager ofthe late-night shift had opened puncraaly. Business was booming and ehe hesyset, thiry-aworyenrold Puerco Ric cack enepreeur was surrounded by his coeie of employes, friends, ad wanna-be acqusonances ~all eager. foe his atenion. We were on the corner of oth Street by the entrance to the Lexington Avene subway station eight in froa che abandoned fourstonycenement building occupied by Rays dealers. He had eamou faged the ground Hore aan afer-houts boolee seca cla and pol hal, Ray and anaay of his employees ha grown up is this very tenement fore is Traian owner burned ie doa eo collet is fasornce value “Their conser as Tong been nicknamed “Ls Farmacia” because of the ig diversiey of payehoacive substances aalable: from standard prod- ‘cs ike Hein, Valium, powder cosine, and crac co mote recherche, cabeae items ike mescaline and angel dust." aarningSiret Smarts In reospect [wince at my lace eee stat fo accidentally mia ing the man who was crucial aot oly eo my continued acces othe cack »In Search of Rept scene, but also 10 my physica secuicy, Perhaps despite my two and & Fryers of escehouse experience at that pont, Iwas jstiied im Being encorriysedgced by ce nigh’ end mara. Ray wis leasing on che fone buraper of his gokd Mercedes smiling and chatting ~ happy with Ife His flowers and employers were also happy Because Ray had jt heared al found of beers and ad promised 0 ore some abstr ‘thar fom the lone surviving hol-in-he-wall Chinese rexauran down, Tie block, We all love it when Ray wat in one of his good moods; ‘Rinade the man capable of unpredictable Larges, which conveasted “Tooacally with hiv usu chutlshess, The night was young, and unorably worm. The emaciated junkies, crackheads, and ineravenous ‘She Teaks who gether on La Farm's comer swenty-four bouts 2d seen days a week, had setesred respectilly across the stet,ocasion- “ty opting or closely knit group enviewly. We controled she space Perhaps i mas also only normal for ene co want bask in my scteasnaly clo and pevilegedtlainship with the “ain man Eadie that week Ray had confided co me che inmate ders of his UMeckap stst past. According to is account, he had specialized in Folding op diag pots antl he as abused by a hidden Tookoue while ecing wath $14,000 for a high-volume Keroin out, Ie ended with 3 rote shoot anda four-and--bal-ea peison sentence fr him, is Tver pote bail lowing his rest by recovering the $14,000 wad of bls athe had managed o stu fot a alF-empry can of ong et just before his ares "Peshaps ny poord os aso down because Ray had just made a point, in font of everyone, of buying me a botle of Heineken’ instead of che Fccncenes-cheaper can of Budweiser enc everyone ele had received He had said loudly and clearly fr everyone to hese, “Felipe, you drink HHeinekers don't ta?” fle even mote privileged hes I saw char he td purchased Heineken for hislf swell as it istiogush us from the sonca.te-mll scestcinkes by our diincevey green imported bole ‘Sterounted by allthis good fling and secutiry, fehoughe it might tea pond moment share my minor media coup from calc that day photgeup of me on pate 4 of che New Yor Ps standing dex 10 Phi ‘Donshot flowing a prime-tine television debate on violent crime in Es Harlem 1 hoped this would pres Ray and his entourage, sig ny ceiiey as aca pofestn,” capable of accessing the mainstream Violating ported i the Unite States world of white-dominatd dayeine television, I was eager c legitimize Thy pesence because chete were il afew people in Ray's netmask who Sopected hac I wis an imposter ~ noching more than far-alking ‘doer drug adic, oF pervert ~ pretending tobe a“stuck-uppeoesoe. ‘Wome yet, my whice skin and ousder class background hep some people convinced tothe very end of my residence inthe neighborhood. {ha Las ely ancrice agent on long-term wndereoner asignment T noiced Ray sien unchsrctrstally as 1 proudly pushed. he newspaper into his hands — but i ws to late eo stop. had seedy Calle out loudly for everyone eo beat “Yo! Big Ray? Check our this picture of me inthe papers!” A balf-down of ee vices surrounding the Tange man were already urgag him eo red the caption on che phot “There was an exger silence athe fumbled awkwardly with dhe newspaper, not quite owing how to Bold the ages open without having therm Hp Teadly ia the gentle bres. tried ro help by pointing dneely 0 the lines where ehe capeion begun. Flsteed, he feigned indifrence and teed to throw che newspaper into che gute, but the voies of bis ‘nimivers were calling out aggtessvely now for him to read che blurb lander my piete, “Come on Ray! Whar’ dhe matter Whar’ ie say? Read et Rea i Unable co save fice, he desperately angled the piper ro set filler Bar fom the streetlight above us, and scewed is ace ato fn expression of inense concentration. I sddnly realized whit the problem war: Ray did aot know how co read. Unircunrey. he eis. He painflly stumbled hrogh the ei caption ~ ironically entitled "The Calm fee the Seora” — his fice contorted into an expression akin co that of dysleniesecond-geaes who has ben singled out fr ridicule by is vache. The eager silence of his flowers wat broken by embarrased, mfBed giggles. Ray’ long-bured ad overompeassed childhood wound of isticucional faire had bust ‘open. He lesen ups regained his deadpan sree scowl, thtew dowa the paper, and seamed, "Fack you Felipe! I do’ cate about this shit! Get bat of here! All of you's!” He hen somewhar clumsily pushed his Dyesiaed body inco his Mercedes, revved the motor, and seteched his ties a he sped any from the commer impervious co che Fed light, o£ the Auschwe-tke survives 0a La Paemacia's far cut who doiged his Aving wheels and continued to hawk Valium, adltetated heroin, co- caine, nd aimalexnquiiaer Primo, my closet tnd on the steers ~ the cetel character of chitIn Search of Rept ook and the manager of Ray's ether cackhouss, Keowa asthe "Gas pr local in bogus video arcade ewo doors dowa fom the rat infested tenement where [lived wieh my wife and infor child ~ eoraed eee vith a worried expression, "YO, Felipe! You died the fi gas” Someone lee picked the crumpled newspaper out of the gutter aad See towel the offending aril and c comment om dhe quit of he ‘Rit Mosc ofthe seer angen spi os sees, ap eve cat eheee woul! be o more fetes fom ee ead ru deat Ferniaht ‘They stagsled bik inside the crackhowse 10 listen € CP esc tMiy pol, and watch ansious adits pour erough the doors ‘hatching han f dolar bills “The Parastes of Vio, Power, and Gensity ay scone his dinity by teeing his anger a timate concern A the potential breach of security chat my exposure in he ress rcecenel The next fie Tray iat him ashe was delivering « es ‘Ripmenr of erck via and pking up the midis salsa the Game Renin neat to my house, be pled me aside gray, speaking in «Jud vowe fr all eo Be: Felipe, fet me ell you something, people who gee people boasted even ifs by mistake ~ sometimes gee found in the arbage with thee here tipped out and their bodies chopped Up seen lace pisces = or else sapbe hey jot gee thei ges stuck Th letra! socket, You underseand what I'm saying? He shen hurcied out 10 his doublepurked Lincoln Consinenal wit Dleckinted windows, stumbling clumsily ver 2 curled Fnoleum frog tent inthe Game Room entance To my dismay, hi teenage ilies vTho as wating impaietly chewing gum in er powerful love's cay Thos ahs moment et look up fren her scowl and eyeball me incense ‘Teri la Ray hin that on cop of everything ese was icing wich his sew gerd, | sared atthe ground and laely hung my bead uma wat woried He had known Ray all his fe. Asa hid Rey, lah itn yeas oldee than Primm, had been the Lsder of wo loosely Tine youth gangs tha Prt and most of Ray's exer exployes had been iol with in heie ea teens tke TCC (The Cheeba {marijuana} icRearaaticneRscSNeAi Scns Violating Apartheid inthe United Star Crew) and la Maj Boe (the Sly Mafia.” He had tughe Primo how co steal ca adie and burglarie dowaown business. Iti 20 ugh off 2ay's warming and recover some of my flustered dignity by cracking one ofthe mangynis jokes they Frequently sed to dismiss thle bass musty mood swings “The ft yak ison the rag Hell ge over i. Chill ost than.” But Prime shook his ead somewhat aplogeicaly be pulled ne tut of the Gane Root onto the curb eo ell me i # hashed woe, eit 1 Sfould make myself cece around the Garne Room forthe seat few weeks. "You don't understand Felipe, chit nigga i crazy. Hes respected tn che sects. People know about him. He was wid when be was kid ice gor juice.” When I interupted Primo some confoatetonaly {na load voice wieh “You mean you'e scared of Ray" Primo responded with whae at cae stage io our faendship was sil » are adaision of vlnerabiicy, Het yet 1 koow ee aig sce was ie, He was wei man, Ud dink he mould pe me or something. Bese hea Ing nigga’ and ma Tide guy bck then. Tm ony fen, boy And heures ike, "One fees gs Tm gota set ura.” And T used go wonder if ee wa ere never ed tee ob aloe with him ‘To prs his point Primo camoutages his memies of childhood teror by proceeding cassally with an aceon of how Ray and his bese cildhond fend, Luis, once raped an old male wansene inthe empty Tor next © te Game Room, I had warmed my expe recorder of, unconsciously tnloreing the taboo om public discussions of rape. Catst, however Primo’ hese frend who war working at lookout atthe Game Room, jniaed us ouside and sisted T document the cle. He mistok my xpresion ofshoek to bea sign of fear tut someone passing by on the street mie be sespicious orange a sting a “white boy" holding out @ tape recorder to eo Puerto Rican men, Cauar: Take the recone on, si't a0 on going eo do noting to you hee Felipe Prime: Yeah! They fucked some dity old ian bum i che ba, “The followed him in the yard over there (pontng tothe garbage seen eubble co ou ightIn Search of Rept Cava: Yah! Ye! owe, Ray ad stakes curns Boning the mas in che as ge over thre {walking halfway nto the lor so mark the pot). Samar Real crey. Yeah! Rays + fakin’ pigs Ray's a wild poitarfackee, Hes got juice. You uvestand Felipe? Juice! (On te sree ut menos spt vr np oni ae mca nda weber or or 9 ave Ls ~ is low velary ais ihteteer"oane a Tel dst rg is cat Pega Spi nays bs end, be wnt longer ete bc of rama enc toco i rear ien races unten cumet oat ge saute ina cae i el a daa np Prin e's oo good be too swe sometimes to people, man ecru sheyte just goona sake advantage of you. You could Be # fice and sweet perso in real Lfe but you gotta have 9 lie Vinlaing Apartbid inthe United States meanness in you and play sree. Like, "Get the fac outer ny fice.” Or “I do's give fuck,” Tha way yu don le nobody foc wich you ates ‘Catar* Yeah, lke me. People eink that I'm wild Prim: Out here, you got be a itl wid in the sees. ator: You've goe 10 be a lice wild for his neighbochood, Felipe gush} Whar did I ell you? ‘You ca'c be allowing people push you around, then people think chat you're a punk and shi Uke cat. And tha’ the whole point: raking people chink youre cools that nobody bothers you ‘Yue don't rally want co bea bully 0¢ violent oF nohing. But you can’ let people ph you around, Bease when the other guys See that, they wane to do the sre thing to, You ge chat rept tion, like, "Ths niga’ 20.” ‘And thet's a way of noe having really big fighes or sothing, bor Ising the rp — like "That dude's coal; dont mess with hen” — ‘without even having eo hic aobady “Ai then cher’ he other way of just coe violence Folly amare of the potenial consequences of Ray's public warning in front of the crackhouse, I give him a wide bere Primo and bis lookout Cast cooperated ally to protee ae. We worked out a modus vvendi se thac coud contin visting them atthe Game Room during working hours without ssking a coniontatioa with Ray. Piao “hited” one ofthe Adie on the coro €9 win with a whistle whenever he awe Rays ar tppeosching so tha I could stip ou of the crackhouse tothe safety of my partment building two doors down ‘Aer several weeks of mainaining this carious low profile at che ‘Game Room, I was sll aoe rehbilieed. Pri warned me tat Ray ad foreboding creams about me Ray deeame you wat some kindof agent ~ tke an FBI or CIA, spent no it war mre lke you was Rom Mas oe something, dae Jou ma sen here spy om Ue veryane tole this symbolic warning seriously became deems have & poweril significance in Puerto Rican calture. Mesbed with the AfroIn Search of Reps etean ei pei Sm importa en ee cen aan of nde and treneon New Seep ses ee tai a (oe emda coninaed ao te ly enh Ry aid on 0 ea of Br a oie mae ofan opis cores, Pins enka, Cour, wih dank 0 moh sa ey a eng arent Bay’ tats sched “Poe” the een sa ange obe ached cols atest ao eye gm ens: Ive ens OSM ee A ly oni hin Rays epee in rb Conary’ bon if complaining}? He's gona cme and ey finon ond oe ec? 1 pu, Jot dont take 20 i DON WORT oon gl about Ry. He he fan t,o wn fa Ene Case es dike, ben aie ening co vr in she eh cana he ee] st gee mutes tat whenee fk, he fel reba ce gs wnt we Shar key make money, Well, Fea eat i RL ee el Miho an Toy 001 ie ctr son of» ich Deca Vim going © Fick Sour Miata mel You ecnting tis atit Felipe? Fk ou mt ees mes Pel You king ls 00, Po, eam Nene of thatthe. Ba Kl i. Yc moxherrkr, Li im. He's fos Macy Spy neg bck, 0 ee coo aun Fn sca if ry er 1 wou eae ee ringette snd bu sine fk, Tee cso ih eee caning ity it she mops) AM kil oat mtbr 6 Violating Apart inthe Unite States Prim: {changing bis cove somewhar aggressively] You woutda't ns sggresively] You would Casa fn an almost sober tone} I would coo. [ would even murder someone. That shit is ike wild. AW'm'a gut case ma. ‘Whar’ the mater? You never choughe about that shi, man? Prime: You ate be a simpleton to do someting like dt. Cama Jase hk should become 3 wld mrderer, man Prime You believe cat sit, Philippe? Philip: Yes. 1 believe iT just dont want to be around when tne dat the killing igh a hs poi, ja we ee on sh veg of eosin Cau in gh rs tng ge ay ep ne he Ge fom urabuel My ecg nes amas wen Tips chelnd sn nig oes ost il ty ny Wo wih l= oe Cana, oho ha mel cme bewildered as me, y seat el ‘net wet ow meh yoni wih ay ry peed ul by the end of « yr I bad achive the se lel of abc nil ewan at fd imine so ny Bae imenuny htc. [remember the wen fe ep ee ine ett in th Hoss sion Howe tt ok Sir Feeney hoy comeing een wn teste hh hs ma mason ee Pa ns Pen Soe Ray we dst tin lol in myo oe a vale, Seo beer sete his mw py ie on {eu cat ef cpg can or ple oa a ld Sli ed fo oe aol tw women ws fr hn dein the yous I fquented is ccs, deed him fon He was tke a Gumby Bea as a kid. He was always a nice bid [pacing choughrflly) He was wld; but noe wild in the see fot you to hte him ‘We were like brothers and sises. He always helped me our.In Search of Rept ‘And don't ger mie wrong, when Be gave me money heey di it fhe ofthe goodness of his own Heat The Baris of Caltaral Capit eter Ray wr 4 Grby Bet, vent pret 6 main Wh Ry ee” lng es with te in et se lem tut be kp en i 86 Fe aye cmesatos with me ve is erin he eae de tcened mie ot es taning-bll, He wom tea homing te nee ras ad elton oe Be a llne seen a eigen nvedk Ft ce oP go bn te enh oles Pee Bours sr ergy ay ck heer etal” ee 15 a ces een ce workings ~ so el, by sock New Yo Augen tpt my mit © ROT on i ne bce api, brs cme Bea he ed a eto oi clear bec te owe srt ately demaning sat 1 ep im uns is money: Te co eas pn ll “eg, do you kw ow Tan et 8 Fo hea he wae pang hi pork Ray oon ee cee ean ee fom eon 2 end te coon BB's ses. He ha 09 Me i leith burrs, New Yoo ays Damen re idee the copy is bith eon en Ne So eee ning hh eel peure LD. Leap cae Sao wud nw oct ene, Sone wa king one pny hn aga he uae top a ae Nin Oe eee gl corpo He waned 0 tn a scene ce ts of eile nd Sa bling ta te Cy of New Yor sons de et ers dean wos buy an abn bing eee es ing! hia ed he mh re ome exe sed wing soning ie money udeene chs. whch inal ae aan peace soni! buen O29 ind offal pert Violving Apartheid i th United States “Te fis eal business Rey stented eo exeablish wi «Laundroom He was unable to wade through the burenuraic maze of peemits, however, and gave up afer afew weeks. He then bought de ese on 2 Basega, = comer grocery store, and thought he had brated the eh so ts secondhand liquor license and health permi, bat ran afoul ofthe brenseaey once atin and abandoned the project His most sscesfl foray ino te legal economy was his purchase of che lease on a former surmene fczoy a few blocks uptown fm the Game Room. He con- tested i into “Tegcimace” vocal cu, renting the space out for partie td selling beer without a Ligue license. He was peoud of tht new feperation and considered i legal because he kep i rigorously “lean He expel forbade deugs from being sold an the premises. New York Gig closed the soca club down in 1992, following the implemencation of the Peoples with Disabilities Ac, as was no wheelhai accesible Confronting Rac ls, ad the Police Ray represented oly ae of he many complex pusoml elaionsips and chica contractions 1 fad to balance while living inthe cack-esler Seene. Before I even wat able co etal my fat elationship with 4 ‘tank desler (had to confone the overwhelming realty of racial and ‘dse-tasal apartheid in America. When fet moved ina my ieregulatly Irsted tenement opposite + massive conglomeration of high-ite, rabri= ized housing projects sheltering more than five chousind fails," ss peifly avare of my outsider seats whencee I iniialyatempeed to ace any srer-deaing scenes. The fie time {waked ome frm fe subway Staion T wen down ase tet tha happened co bes heria “apping cornet” where + hal doven difrene “companies” competed sith ea ocer co sell en-dolar passe bags wih oficial, inkstamped logos. [sas greeted by 3 hail of whistles and echoing shouts of “ajo {coming dowal” ~ the coded alarms thar lookouts posed on deling coroes wie to announce the approach of a potential undercover agent 8 ‘he "pitcher who make the actual handto-bad sles, Everyone began seatring in one of mea Thad the plata ofa sen he Bloc was desolate fle a fT was infested wieh vermin, as if my white skin signaled he terminal stage of same Kind of contagious deat sowing vor da its path, On this cccsion may felings were hur; I ad Been feeling lonely and od walled a block out of my way co each chitbn Sear of Ree icy ty cre rly ot of etn a ati i nye men hn hh ng and pin sige he xan of eof eset Foe eee Eo Hem ess ke a sash of chasm in gee fo all ean one mt my cospcans pale at» pore nn ee cs gett bcne my gps ene ce ear apne corer bu, tit, my whe das eit cok a aes bral the et el WE ara fl zn on apted me On the tes on es eps se ee aed ohumied by New Yok Ci pice For frm de ppc thse was 20108 6 ¢ ote oe ighorhod lem he was buen cp OF ce became Tan sn hyn ated ee Chive in ar ae esl mpm rin it oe ge pale les soins core ETT NO ve ore paca ay ck, bang ome sanwch and cee sins ese ck det loko, Whe MT. ae hc ler poe me com the eta cus a ean poling sou eh roi. Ae cae Jn i ee gem my na pce, Used in bce C8 a iene ince eeing i tas go oe ergs bp sce Sey” Apes De eoughe ees ececpcd an wnat ofr frm aoe en ae ould peal lnk sib ie he dee, Men seo fans seated in nto he Boks, sein Ta ea bee sag wth ne when be seed ous ey tae and ee, cones ce was 2 whe a su an andere a oe ofa ~ ello and ree rs ope ae mpg cn mgs angel Jot etal tough the dao fo mug eye ang inca theca ee. an nine bimonthyeacunes with ee pie did a oe yee eoounee with che pice wa WOE a ws on x moxnnscakoping ote (NE Te oe UT ac cuting th = see eles who was the ae oer af my sgh He ad a me ma ih Fer uh jot ened al soon se gh maneet Ps Violating Apartheid m the United State called the eecipes he was going "so go party” and he wanted me 10 acommpuy him. Ewas eager please hi happy that had ally found fan ented into his new and partially active cack scene. He was trey introducing me to his colleagues and compton ong Jot fread’ and neighbor of his “exes,” chereby tnally dispelling thie Conviction that I war 2 police fcr. All ofa sudden a pacl cat Aashed fies lights, ooced its sen, and screeched 10 « halt ext t0 us. To ty surprc che ofcers called ou to me and not to my crck-dealing scquaintance: “Hey, whice boy! Come ovat heh.” Bor the act teen tminates [found myself shosted at, cused, asd generally humid in font of a growing crowd of crack desefaddicespecaors, My mistake ‘har ight was zy tel ehe police oices the uth when they aed re, “What the hell you doin’ herb?” Wren they hae me expla, in tae I chought was «polite voice, cha [was an anchropologise saying povery and marginalization, tbe largest ofthe ewo offices inthe cat ex pode What kind of fuckin’ moron do you eink Iam. You thine 1 don't know what you're doin’? You think fm upd? Youte bab bing, you facia" deug addict. You'tediey white scum! Go buy your drags in white neighbocbood! IF you dons gee the hell out OF ete eight now, mothesfucka youre goon hace tepeat your tory in he precinct You want me «0 tae yous ia? Heh? Hunk? Answer me mode? Afee inficual peotests cae merely prompted forter outage, I was seuced to searing ac che ground, mumbling "Yes si” and shulling thedlently 0 the bus stop ro cake the next cransporation downtown, Behind me [hear “IF 1 se you around here lier, white boy, aim fake you int? 1 eventually lei how to ace appropriately. By my second year on the set my adreraline would io longer pump in tral janie when lice offices pushed me against a wall and made me sand spead-egled to be pated dows for weapons and drugs. My accent proved so be 2 Sexous problem in these encounters becuse pact offers in ast Harlem tse almoet always white males from working-lase backgrounds with ‘eney lho Kelian- American dictions In conte othe Perso Rica ad Afeican-American chldeen on my block, who used e© marvelLL————— In Search of Respect, rise voi,” he poli tices wa hy calle ny “een ae ieee Tag fin of ceo tag on as when Tat vam Me ecnple tces are h y e w roy we rs tte pa ces BY sng at the Shen ng ener my avers crn an yi 98 a cn mili, ctl phe When Ted Fe ey or een ple tek fending hem se et cess en te pole te oe pas 2 me to faced my seo wong be ape ws Fe a cao me ts aig my De Oo torino "You know whee ig? THs a snl wai omy sory acm Ha tony New Yok Gt some sox ca th st uno be nt ede, Wha you ig ee my ces ce wih my es prove ada a ine. He moe neni You meso ert acer nah ou” Texpied apse ce een nepese. Ting be bal, be sags us oli, wets argh of en ey et New York iyo Rasim and the Calan of Tre eel ple wn enforce inci aan Une Tommasi gets we se ela aa ey fe en danger ee Bi Aer ras negra FH a ee len, lal my es, et Be SST; bel mee oe a espns i ge mou nyo re nee make ca oma ey dente am hs Soe ch cer mya spn ing Inde mot nen ie ee nd «ay 8 eee ye ee en we ete tetera in m9 ca re cape mao am Del h Teer 1 ple inthe ated Se soto conte in hep a ee 5 Fm im by avy emg al en 2 | | i Vinlaing Aparteid inthe Unitad States they were tos fone in Harlem, While everyday danger i eres eal in EI Baro, the vat majority of the 110,999 people — 51 percene Lian Puerto Ric, 39 percent Affcen-Amerian, and 10 percent “oer” ~ who lived ia the neighborhood, aeconling 9 the 190 Censs, are ant mugged with any eegularey ~ if ver. Iroescaly, ee few whites seriding ia the aeighbochoed are probably ser than cheie Afcan- “American and Puerto Rican neighbors becuse most would-be muggers tssume whites are ether police ofices oe dr acts ~ or both ~ ane asia before assaulting them. Prime's primary lookout at the Game Room crackhouse, Cas, ws ee fie peso 2 explain tis ome: Flip, pople think you's afl deel agent anything. But that’s god oaks ehem stay aay for you ‘Tink about it IF you was selling shit om che sree and your see a white guy coming by, you woulda relly wane 0 bother ith hin ur then agin, some people also tink, “hes white and e's in ‘he oeighbortond, whe mate be cay.” I ey di’, chey'd just ‘come up co you snd crack you i dhe face and ake your walle ‘You locky. Look ame, I'm Buco Rican 11 as to walk ingo Bensoahuse," chey would figure, "we cold beat the shi out this dhe.” They mighe think chat I goto be eazy or something but ehey wl ext me of kick my a5. During al the yet I spent on the srects of El Barrio walking around sca hous of the night, Twas mugged only once ~ and thac was a 2:00 fhm, ina coe where everyone sews alto robbed at che sume vie. My vif, who i Costa Rian, was aever mugged and she ciclated fely hroughoue che neighborhood ~ although she was cautious afer dk Daring che span of these ste yon, at late hal-dozen of ou Fens living cowavonn in afer eighbochods were mugged. {do ace mean co erste the safety of EI Basco; ay seveary-yea-old Filipino landed ‘eas mugged in te hallway of eur apartment Duldiag ia broad daylighe stile walking ue of his ground-foor apartment. At I noe sa the Tnutauction, everyone i conacious of he eal posbility of saul, Even the ges of ebe deug desler in Ray's neework woul ak a Tend co sccompany them fo protection when they wetecctying money or drugs ser dak 2In Saar of Reps ‘Violence cannot be reduced tos satistieal expression, which woul hom hat ene monders and beatings in aay given innes-city aeghbor rood remain confined oa soll sebgeoup of indivials wh are nets involve in substance abuse aad che underground economy, who re Ubvtoly wlnerble, such 3 fil, eldeey perio. Stree culture's vio~ Jence pervades daily lie in EL Baro and shapes mainsseam scitys poseplon ofthe ghetto in & manage completely dsproprconste co is opctve danger. Part f she reson i= che violent incidents, even when Chey do aoe physically theaen bystander, are highly visible and ee tivic For example, during my fie ehiccen months of residence io EL Barrio I witnessed le of vilen incidenes: A daly segue shooting anise my apartment wim of «dogs ‘Katingan Cho als happeed (0 be the moter of rree-yeH ‘ld, A ombing aod a mchio-puaing of umber ui by {he cl Ma ~ ce ga, wich view omy wi. «Rootes pane co chan inear open pc were happened fo be eur ase wih my ie «Trae ofthe fe ombing of betin hose By an unpaid upp reun he ok rm whee ved « Riedeeneraming leersiping BES [None of chese particular inidens came clase ro threatening me Phi cally, bue dete woumatc ature an peomienepablicvibiley cot hel co tense of an mpipeeent chretening ceaity cha extended far Tagua che saiccl possiblity of Becoming a vitim." To analyze che Ney itercae context of South Ametic and Naai Getmaoy, andhropolo~ [pet Michael Tussi has coined the em “culture of eto o ney he ATminsing fice of widespread violence on x vulnerable society. In “ontempory Spanish Harlem one ofthe consequences of ee “culture of teen dynamic st silence te peaefl enjoy ofthe papolation who Teas inthe neighbaehond. They isolate shemseles fom che community Td gr to te qhoe who participate in sree culte ~ sometimes imteoainog rai stereorypes in che process. A peofound ideological ‘Syoumie mandates disrst of one's aeighbors.” Conese, mainstream ersecy wansciously oes he nage of acuta of teor co dehamanize ‘he uae and perpetrators an 4 sii #5 unilingness co coafont “caregaton, economic margizalizacion, an publi eto breaklown, Tas pufenional and personal ipersiv o deny or "ormaize” he 5 ftions of aac Violating Apart inthe United States altar ftertoe dating che yeas Ive ia El Barrio. Many Toes sides ‘Shoty his sertegy. hey eas hit chil outing 0 accommodace The shock ot everyday bratty in det €o maintain their own sense of und sary To be succesful in my steer echnography, [id ro be sed and enjoy faye on ehe stcee Thad 10 fee} comforable while Traine ous nurmunded by feade and Basking in eelaxed convertion. Tai i aoe lifeule during daylight hours or even ding che extly ‘Renin, when £1 Bato streets fen fel waren and appealing, Chideen Se nunning every which way playing og and sqocing with delight, Shet neighbors are out sling and often pause to serie up a Giendlly Savenation,«foodspeaiee pues salsa music fom a teah-sory housing flee mindow to ha everyone onthe sce Below can step a ene for Fee vn ator, there sese of commaniy inthe neighborhood despite the violene, In face, most sesdents even know the nicknames of thet more boric oe suspicions aeghbors ‘ovine town up in Manbarcins Sik Stocking citi ju seven bowls dewssown fom El Basi’ southern border delineated by Ease toch Succ, I lays appreciates the shared sease of public space that ‘lines heough Spih Harlem's tees om warm say days In ce sae Fudge where [gee up downtown, neighhors do os have nicknames er whe one shares the elevator with ter, they usually do noe even 547 Talo or tn an ackaowledginen of existence" T enjoyed the ilasion of facndly public space that the working-class majority io El Baio are ‘eco abe eo peojece ducing dalighe hours, Ir was she dalrscemse¥es sth feqonaly shattered ty sense of eens and nse tha I respect Thewitene minty who relly cocelied che sees when push came to Uhove, I one persica instance roward che end of my residence [had “Commented co Cas in the Game Room tht the neighborhood fee fe fie suerged comical response was pariculaly interesting i ea 2 Teme! te fll ambiguous cyte af the cleure of reror by demonstating ‘he inane bruaity af the pple who were supposed ro be pro (Goring tn Bh che einials athe pli play By the rales of che ‘alu of terre Cauar: Yo Pops twaving rime oer, liten co this. fearing #9 sme] Felipe thinks te lock is hil. “Wall ice me ell you Felipe, what happend care sday, beens all day it was wl on this bok, 1 ide even ve co watch 1HBO 3sIn Sear of Rept ceo, Lud ok om she window and ad ae of wa eed and eying, Toe wa cen C8 cement mere the ee cenh an her ma an ¢ lack en See nt Thay bet hes dow ad ok er evel Beecher cold Babe Pee Si was sri ear Ag cc ber se me Tes she aie TE tnd wo we ope cae aml cought che mugger nd Bar en oe er eee enemy cope emp ont Se 8 Stags bee hey ed Sell srr have acer th hic sau ey 2 a atti ves The cope had asics with be ac eee ed ett They wee sing ol ea as Tt by they eed wo ambulances Teen tc ha! Both of them wes in sce Biting ne a yeh Tew aa of loo at Sie cpr Te cosa plese 8 5 "el terdown ike tow oun ex satis ins sur take yor cre, Ds” Csi: Bald teatime soda at Bos! Armd eh 7 Bee onpcding ffl uncon resus fo he window mene ome And ani mete saa pling, "Abe! Abu! Polis bral ee ad he vido cen 1 woud st #00 AL ston Bete ons «back de iv thy di th ete aa eda casa amar pie scl a Starpon sets ecg ap hv th tt wack perm 2 "pesos make ou oe tcp soins i? Cane olny sy mys bce 18 inking eee ie ound fel the i hey was ing CSE BO SRIE se do ys, 7h ae ey 7 ea pus Tey dee wt plese rng Frere omagmee ng chr. The lene of Frio ee Stececncl-meny yep Thats ran wih Thadge Tt hea Pepa frat oi Ty ge pin ee ming and Violating Apareid i the United State 0, "Yosh, Alm gon ick ome ino a ay.” [bing Stun tonetber an king sh could el th atde, ec | would Be che se HF was gotce fir. “cause yo take the bale oe geod. The bode fest your bea. You koow what Tim ming? Makes you fel ke yout tv; Ie you could co whaevee you gdemn wel pee T would fave the sme ate. Im going to hare somebody cay. don't eae ihe white or Porto Rican, Aad gun 1 tv plein doing in lino, Ad wold Be ‘married man because [ wouldn'e fight with my wife. “ don't eve know why they hive human Pc fe. They stool pot pt ania ou here pling se sce, Word wt ‘ane theyfe wore tag aninal rs ike thy alae wih tad Iournlcing tsearioal Visor Altbough we did have co woery about the danger of pice bray, it vs not one of our primagy diy concens. There was always a strong, Undereutene of anaiety over the rk of ares, but we mere consierbly less worned about being Brutaliend by the police if they cided che crackhiouse coenpredeo whic we raked a che td four llow inmates in the holding pen, Judges in Manhacan almost never Send anyone to piso fo eli of buying small qumneties of deugs dhe Brien they feared. A fund. tosbnd sale of crack oan undercover officer usally results in a ewo- 0 four-year suspended felony sentence. have newt ten beard of sinple usromer being brought eri ~ och lee being ‘convicted of anyching. The peoblem in an attest 6th one usualy ba (0 wie in 2 muniipal jal olding pen fr fory-cighe eo seventy hours before being artigned by the judge so the special Nacoris Cours. ur fein shese rercrowded “bullpens” was 4 Frequent subject of snows discsson. I captured one such debate on my rape reer Caesar's nom-deug-using cousin, Eddie, was reminding all of ws io the Game Roo that we risked being sodomized in ji f he police picked sup ina sweep that night, Eddie's fther wae Afican-American, and (Caese made set rile is etre well demonetat his superionIn Search of Repct echnical Knowledge of the likelihood of sexual asiule in @ New Yoo Cry holding pen se Yo Caer, dn 00 ome cing 6 shen hye ee Sets anda ur y(useel Ma ee Gna Tey ont pe mas 8 te vse use Yuan et ays ig mip all no . "You get raped when you go upseate where they gor them big. nen ee we rh slog. Bick Min tan BEE teen sme ew em 2 ite yoom tengo wha ab ee ee ies ae en they Be ha Ee ees Tiny hg ind hey te Ye Tho) be MI ye Aa hake yor a ke hi Sg yp dow nd hy op PONE Ci oy ee afl en) Ad hy fo i eu at Esse) And or ie: 05 Cr en and pal re, ekg AHN SA ar bye mano mma, Al ee ee tema nine Jo AMA et nd sey ity bk ors ad ey de, AL teamed bak A hy i. A hey sl ea ty peer sin oe A a tind wah saab hea sack, A aor eee cp pe the age a Peo Sere acs ore ane Ee ile A emg my cl nd YU oN aan tog ou you ge he bi Hak ae se i ke rs ad 9 mE ec yal yorcanon, Won A eas thy prow nel (ing al oe Be hod ey fo muh, “A ght a ot nt fake i uk wh Hack steering awed aun into Prime’ fice] And chy aking aoe sag And re on he 8 be 3 Vieleing Apartheid inthe United State recognizing yu! {swinging bis face around yer again co wicin an igh ofa ch fey nose 1 ws especialy sensitive co Caesars harangue tha age because the [New York City police had just deployed eee new elite Tactcel Nacor- ics Teams ~ appropriately nicknamed TNT ~ in El Bari.” TNT was founded in 208) to asnge popular outage during the height ofthe ational just-suy-noco-eugs hysteria TNT's spcitcdiective was €© ‘but the smal stree-level dealer athe chan the wholesale supplier. A ‘week euler, a¢ 2:90 a.m, TNT bad ativod in U-Houl erucks to block ‘i both ends of notorious cack-cnping block a Few steers down from the Game Room. They rounded up everyone bitering on the sidewalk and oven dragged people ove of private apartments ia the fee 3 inabied enements onthe block, ‘The night of Caesar and Eddie's jousing over julhouse cape, Tha fargocten my divers license. Noe arying a picture identification i & sure guarance for inciting pice weath, The recording from this sion cen with my voice coring Caesar through cackles of nervous back ‘round auger: Philip: Outs any face Casa! What the fk’s dhe aste with you! You's fcking pervert, or what? Primo, Tm outa bere, You guys have made me pr (pra ibe righe back thou, Fm ust going upstairs 0 ge my 1D. Avseng the Game Rom Crane In my Sse months on ce black, {was aot debuting complex teow ims abou how the United Sates legitimize ianercity segregation, of how viet enforce ehe brrlity of their secial marginalisation. I wa primarily concerned with how to persuade che range of the crckouse fon my bloc thar T'was aot an undercover police oer. 1 remember vividly he nigh Eft went co the Game Room. My cighbor Carmen 4 thiry-ainejearold grandmother who I had watched ove the past thvee months become addicted to cack and reznsform erst into # hoelet ninety-nine-pound hase abandoning her cwo-yeur-okd ewia ‘randchiees~ bebaght me ove othe manager ofthe Game Room and ‘old im in Spooish, “Peimo, lee me ineodace you #0 my aighbor,In Sear of Rept Felipe; he's fom she bloc and wants ro meee you." Facved at the ost of finaly accessing crackhouse scene ny bear dropped when Peo shplyelggled and cored his Bock on me a co hide his fae Sting mut ino he set, head Carmen i English, Jou enoua for tre to hea leap, “What preince dil you pick hima up ae?” fhueiey rumbled an embocasied procest about oc being “an wodercover” and Tout sunting co wit a book abou "he tees sd the neighborhood. Thad che good sense otto impose yl, however, and instead skank Jno the background onco the hood of «acy parked carafe buying » round of bers Even ia my fgesse I managed to prolong dhe awkward ‘Hoe by purchasing the wrong kindof bee ~anwnsecetwise brand whose ‘tate Primo ded nor ike, He was oaly inking 16-once boule ofa new ‘rand of mae iguoe called Privae Stock, which was being marketed on Haren blboatds Rauring beaut, browrskianed women draped in feaneyTeopar skins and sing bright, wie eet, co aac «fresh fonersion of young, ianerciy ste alecholis. ‘Despite my inauspicious Bt evesing, i cook les chan ewo weeks for Primo to warm up co my peesence. Iss aided by having 20 pass the Gane Room Keely evry day, and usualy several cies day, in order fo reach dhe sopermarkee, che bus sop, OF che subway. Pano would ‘lly be standing outside hi pseudo video arcade srrouned by litle “She of cenage ils vying for bis atenion. Ax frst we just nodded alec ro each ober, but after a week he called ou, “Hey guy, you Like Te dn ber, don'e you” and we stared a round of Private Stocks with Mari, his Bfcenyear-od pind, and his curtent Jokous, Benivo — alicized and commodiy (eishizd in "Berae”~ a shore, loud-viced Taeny.yerold whose exaggerated street swagger hid he Timp caused by the durum bolle lodged i his left frur, “a few hours and bees, ler my pale quickened when Primo invited sme inv the back of the Game Room to where the eck soppy wa Raiden behind fle linoleum panel, and he [aid cut » dime bax of. Powder coving. ft was de "We Are the Word" brand, which wa old ets the avenue under & hal-blocklogg mural celebrating ee ate oeee rok concert ofthe same vce for famine elie in Ethiopia, "You Tike ro sift too?” Worried that I was going co rin apport ~ o¢, wore ee conkem my suspected police officer sae ~ for curing dowa bis titer T dgcveted to my surpese that both Primo and bis Teokowr, Benie, wee tiled co be hanging owt with someone who was “sch Violating Apartheid inthe United States sed people” Bate dil os ene “aif.” This was my fist encounter With the pound moral — even iho ~ onion cdo ace hi aay Knog ih ok he dele if almost everybody on the steeee is busy sniffing, seookiag, shoot or selling. ne me Primo, Besic, Matin and eveyone ela aman th it had ever been cate witha fenly white before 0 i mes tha setoe of slit ea they saw I hangout With them ow of genuine inert bet than wo obtain drags o engage in cme eer at pn, The ony ‘es thy tnd eve ea ch lt trad ben sl pe Feb, ratcemen, rai ofices, nd angi bse ven ich fan oil workers wee lagely Ativan ad Pact Rian, Despite his obvious fear, Pro could ae ide hs cure. AS he see ime mt at a ane al» hae ones” wth an atl ine peeve mati, ‘white America, = “ Vinee ner the neat ew woo, I repay pent few bo regula pens few hous a the Game oom craks ching with Primo tnd whocver ewes on ty he sbi che lle Bot or Cac, Yo my stp, I became en ee hj of preg: the cake bial want ob sen uli wit eT ad ong stepped inal of power lone She my pn incised perl My sox lenge coe tw co bra tough che impretonesmnagemene Bae Playog thet Jnvee power raion cl cv Fr example, Tha eg ‘eel within Puno wave of tered rcs whereby he ethan Sly peed hms spe she snes mm sale scum) ll aud ws ere He he ying ieee ell atcha leer Poe Rice who "wok ia favre" ees peialy ‘enharael when be began letng me hom how pod he thought it sor th velpmee of hiss aking with eA the me Tine, however, Re tl hovgh | might be an uncover pce fer, Asta month afer mee he," co ae tama Jou come and are me, I want tlt you. Yat god people Tes toe unt ce yeas ter hat Prim would enly Sesbe me to ches as "the white aga who alway be angi with me,» As acer otf sll member the nghe when I fe adel to “hemny ‘ige* sate, Pimo Had bbe more sel tana, aa od ‘elke hn up thse’ Mates ses thre pe gaIn Search of Reet so make sure he woul! ao ec agg he sia, case de Ime a en a nu." Upon 0 ste aia swaying 9 the ail oul hank ane "You're good Sore, be abel me by ee Serpe Mosca nS ONE to jeer 2am, sel of Pi i eh aig Net reir JN Adin war tat ie resin me ae Gare Room te ern aig pen ro sone cove of Rin te “el ako the we roc nn ia oi lef nora. He anfed deeply, ep tine wo is right sos! Belo sighing and neo Fare pe geannce boxe of Ole English mal wor U was SwRRiNE Teaching out for me vo hand Violating Apart inthe United State Benzie, meanwhile, was crushing che conten 815 vial of cosine inside 2 folded dollar bi hy rain i berween bis thumbs sod forc- fgets which ges rl of any clamps and cysts and makes i easier c Shi. He then dipped a folded cardboard mazchbook cover int the inc Tong pile of white powder and sniffed deyly twice before laying it down gently inthe cone of the sur be was siting on Print: When 1 St met you, Felipe, Iwas wondcting who the hell you were, bu, of corre, I cccived you good bets yo sounded interesting: s0, of couse, I received you good. (reeching forthe cxsine) Te meh cm amie, con opt (Tweleomes you a & fend, wth ape Bessie: Linerupcing and handing ee che malt liquor botele Felipe, Tm going to tell you the honse each ~ and he know i [pointing to Primo} The fie sie T mee you I choughs eis you as ina diferene way. . But | would rally acer noe tll yu [rifing frm the heroin packes with Primos xp] hips ekg] He's all igh doe worry, you ca ell me. 1 ‘Bons: Yeah =. well eras (9 Primo eo avoid eye contact wvieh me, aad iB again) yea, you remember? ved til you, You kaom, te way he used 10 call. The way he used vo be, That thought maybe. you koow, . How you eal ie? Tha some ope ae isa, Eventhough you ad 4 wile, I ehoughe you we Uke diy Te ws relly ‘cause of che way you tl aod ‘crue ofthe way you set. You always asking a foe of questions, and ale of gay people be lik eat ~ yo nom tying 0 find ou the way you a Bue then after a while, whea I got to kaow you [grabbing the ote fom me, Lan the way you was hangings and I orto oom you bee; ue sil always had chacehoughe ia ny ead, "Man, but, bu this gaa a fgg” einking Prim: [esting Betaie sore] Damo, sbuc up maa! You'te gulag to give Felipe a comply (complex. (puting his arm over my Shoulde) fe wa ue you wat white. He was thinking, "Qty 41 te lagu 2” [Wai his white oy? Phi: So was ie my accent? My wice? The way move tay boy?———— In Search of Rept sie Ye ie your ace Fp hin os wean nfl, Sigel te ou cate ny ou spe jes i ii sey And mae, we drt unde few word sirahe “ ‘really be sounding differ~ Ts ou ek Span hn you aly be ung ie, eee ly be souing dierent, You know, hen Depa ean He rls i Sa Er dug ow sts weer linge youth he tne. ns] One ye Tear Nar ws ts ee oy ws eo Sith feb gun or someting?” (Ql @ A jae ae Bat ai a ne guna Span, “Nol Whi ae you waking a eer esr He seas Spnsh od agli and shee gl) Del lr? Bs ror. Hebe opal ial sien el rm feling some ‘Ar the sme 1 hear tis, Feoud ot sop myself me abl eteainpesona pig ac avg been msdenied seal, Bremse eeiae ime f faci mye co Bea ist inimly seco Jo we apect Tam elewed shat during che fre few yeus of ny Beldwr Trenhly mead rece cos and eld not sunpet Iwas giving of diy BRET ner vib. Being el-conscios about my sexual mage in aul Fone content of ster culture mighs fave ined with sey to initiate comfortable elacionships with ee cack dees ‘Aficon Ameren Berto Rize Relations te St owt ea A ra a Ree Ray ten rule std oak” y Anglo ey — 8 welt ty oe act Oe te aie aE acter fx ample, wae aed Gao, the Spanish word fe ic ci Armerea dee, who went by she came Joy Vislting Apartheid inthe United States oie co mein private that he found the atmosphere a the sil lb ‘cackhouse on La Farmacia’ comer dininty hole Blacks and Puerto Ricas rally don't ge along heee. See chat aque chee, cha says "Latin Family"? Well, some people take chat sesialy. Isa lot of eatin, When cone through che dr hve to have an ay and a purpose. IFT go an Fst in a sexe aad I cross ry legs, all oa sadn they'll be gathering cogetber, speaking in Spanish, ike "Yo, who's thar?” They even tell you im Eli "Yo, you beer be Caesar was more explicit abou racial tension in the Game Rooms — at leat wen he wat drinking rm Kila Klux Klan, ABV kill Mack people. You Know why U hate back people? Because they're blac: they stink; they smell ike hi. And they're laxy motherfuckers. swear ¢© God I hae their fucking gs ‘even te Puerto Ricans tha afro. 1 hate them like any other black man, {running bis bans ehrough Primos baie) Fack Primo too, because e's got an altoand he's back. 1 ham, THcing mel Thee whites ro9. {il ehem ll But noe you Felipe. You allright, yous goed niggs’. But if you did't Bag out ss 4 bil you. ‘You kaow why I hace mis tacit Puerto Rica te ot backs) becuse i was a back matt who killed my sister ~ stabbed her signs ine in he peojct ‘They gee me pissed off, becuse why dd they got co do these ‘things to me? Tm ales faced yp as iis. hae everybody For al it explicit racism, Caesar emulated Afican-Americansecet, cules, which fas an almost complete hegemony over syle in she ‘underground econo |Lased to want eo be black when I was younger. I wanted t0 be swith thc black syle. “Cause theyre badder Like mas bal. Yeah? Mule mala’ Mere rmdir——— In Search of Rect kee evil lack Kids the mas because I was letning ho beach sa elt rom che ri and and ral ke chat Fane people like ro dees hard ~ Uke ragged. You keow aa sing Look wild, like Wack, Black, ws being black me Bar ete uly era of AficaneAmerican sels ad younget Poet Fe rae ee alr, whose reltionhip co white society is more sl aa ly eppoinal hore chan ha of hic parts even hele ee rb” Neverthe, {et comfortable in my coe a “profesor” aoe ae mcpologine writing 4 book. On several occasions i almost aaaeethcmat when agi! Rembrs of Ray's network, and even aaa med me angi for never pezecoring chem, claiming SRS aed to bea Testa chapee”ia my book. tad originally AO gat te ma carctr in his book might sciet the fact ea eerie eso gong to use het Tie sori 1 bud an academic cee Mig acum oa fas lays Been gine something ack to ts My done er hon Lice with Ray a bis plays my sie c0 ck ie soviet "about poverty and suginalzaion” thar ma rammbate came progressive ndrtanding of aercity py ee coca sec, ee cought was crny and eee Co se, pout rac! responsbiey with supicon. Ines concepsion reeone in de worl hustling fend woul verre in at eller and rake alo of money. 1 ad ner ocurred wae ue rhy would ever ge anything back om tit Book project ary npood pity on pblicacion day. On seve ein® Y Ce ye ove should bea cangibl pli bene fr the comms asp any research poke apuword hurting SPORE 6 | Viedaing Apartheid inthe United Stas Cavers Felipe, you just calking sn immense amount of shit. Beau we ak hag amoung dst ans oad ‘hing ~ neo the i. jit lite neon Op Wig o he Donahue Show = which leer'® mean sie. "Thar's aoe going #0 help the community. Ie oe going c help us. Tr not going co change che word in an ensy meray bie a all [e's jo eal Hap ehe lp OF cmine, 1 hope Ca mong bat maybe hit pion is oe realistic than my academic idealism, ” i tien gh ny ch, he i ch sin cher inhi bok, spatiale a wi te a iy oving abs swing to aie sete pop. Ta Shave abe pat feb lee" Br exe whe te doh tng en i ny wt nt in ening Say ay wd prs, Ca Pn or Sm inet wore sed dappeeed Tweed that our eatin ad ‘dlp an sen ppt nso oar: ging ny mead : on nd evining sn} Bo’ b ving pon, felipe Dan Be fick ap We spe Fp. fe fk ap Ea a tering t Pine hn age i ig to i i ‘think we'se going co have to pur pressure on him. ut teeing} Youre ou mc mol her. You cnt be ct ee, You can be fick arin, We coud bew ys cw sh ike a Word Tai eit you eu le acehing In ng wich your ante ois Wisin te. You gone hve ge es ps mes Kw ny nn a oe Your chairs bce fn wen god at ou ote ond ht you ea kee Viel ik he stale coning ae hd than the ceacher here, educational le ral ; woe Pik tees a depression. 1 think he's gor a writer's block thing. = “ ”