In the world of Chin, Luis Rodriguez's street name, la vida loca, or the crazy life, meant navigating the struggle of gang life in the Mexican barrios, or neighborhoods, of East Los Angeles.
Luis tells his story from the up-close first-person perspective, looking back on the events such as forming a club with friends for protection against other boys in the neighborhood and joining older boys in robberies to make money which led to him being a hardcore drug user and gang member by 15. Intermixed with Rodriguez’s commentary on the lure of gang-life is a simultaneous narrative about the ever-present anti-Latino racism perpetrated by whites and some in positions of authority including school officials and police.
Similar to Geoffrey Canada’s memoir Fist Stick Knife Gun, Rodriguez looks at the choice between defending one’s reputation on the street and pursuing a dream for the future and as a struggle of life or death. In Rodriguez’s case, his memoir stands as a personal triumph - but one that comes with a hefty cost.
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