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Before the Bloods and Crips
This documentary is a well-crafted and engaging History Channel documentary about the origins of street gangs in America. The implied thesis in "A Secret History" is that gang activity in the United States arose during the 1800's largely as a function of immigrant groups' need to protect themselves. While this statement may seem somewhat ethnocentric, the creators of this documentary have done thier homework and present a convincing argument as a foundation to thier claims. <
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> While the documentary may at first seem of little interest to those who are interested in learning about the lingo and lifestyles of today's inner-city gangs, there is still an important educational point to be made. This is that the gangs of today may have changed in thier appearance, but the functions of the street gang are basically the same: 1) to provide economic opportunities to the disempowered and 2) to provide protection for the disempowerered. <
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> The film is richly-laden with the history of two ethnic groups in particular. First, "Secret History" provides a well documented account of the early Irish-American immigrants who settled in the 5-points area of New York. Second, the movie contains a wonderful account of the Mexican-American gangs of California, including detailed accounts of the 1940's "Zoot Suit" riots. <
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> 5 stars for pure educational value.