American Me Analysis

People can easily be judged based on their community, how they dress, how they talk, and who they surround themselves with, it is human nature. There becomes a problem when whole groups of people are labeled as delinquents based on how they are perceived by the rest of society, and they start to be confined to that role. This is the basis of labeling theory described in the book Criminology Goes to the Movies Theory and Popular Culture by Nicole Rafter and Michele Brown as a concept of perception of criminality as a permanent identity of people based on their background. This theory is shown on the movie American Me about the rise of the Mexican mafia, and the influence of its members. The movie presents how Mexican communities have to embrace

the notion of their delinquency, and how some individuals try to escape it unsuccessfully. Labelling can create an identity that is not just a perception, but a reality when society forces it upon people.
Labelling theory was furthered as a concept by Howard Becker, a sociologist from the University of Chicago after World War II. In the book Criminology Goes to the Movies Theory and Popular Culture it describes labelling as,” crime is best understood in terms of the meanings those actions have for the actor rather than biological, psychological, or social factors” (Rafter and Brown 2011). By definition labeling theorist believe that labelling someone as a criminal for their actions creates an identity, a role in which they must act on. A crime committed by someone who is defined as a delinquent is different than someone who just made a mistake. Labelling theory shows that not all communities are treated the same.
American Me presents the rise of the Mexican Mafia and how connected they are to Mexican community in east Los Angeles.

The gang and the community are intertwined as the gang encompasses many of those that live in the area, as presented in the ending of the film. The ending is important because it sets up the permanency of label theory, and when the role of delinquent becomes evident. Throughout the movie the main character Montoya Santana speaks of respect and his gang, until the end where it states how he regretted his role, as a kid turning to gang culture for respect. In the movie it states,” You know, a long time ago, two best homeboys, two kids, were thrown into juvie. They were scared, and they thought they had to do something to prove themselves. And they did what they had to do. They thought they were doing it to gain respect for their people, to show the world that no one could take their class from them. No one had to take it from us, ese. Whatever we had... we gave it away” ( ) This quote connects of labelling theory because it relates the role of gang members they had to play at juvenile detention and extended to that identity being the basis of them growing up. Proving themselves became the bases of their identity being labelled as criminals at such a young age created a need for a role to protect themselves the only way they knew how. They come from a place where gang was the only prominent role in their

community.