Criminality Theory

The purpose of the proposed study is to apply one of the many theories learned over the semester and apply it to a movie character to explain their criminality. In order to understand criminality we first must understand the definition of crime. “Crime is human conduct that violates the criminal laws of state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction that has the power to make and enforce the laws” (Schmalleger 2). In the American crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford Blood In Blood Out Bound by Honor follows the lives of three Hispanic relatives. They start out as members of a street gang called the Vatos Locos in East Los Angeles. After dramatic incidents occur in the young men lives honor and family ties are forever changed. In this study, the main focus point is going to be on one of the relatives Miklo “Milkweed” Velka who throughout his life was looking for acceptance from family and friends.

Miklo “Milkweed” Velka is a man of Mexican and Caucasian ethnicity who before coming to live with his cousins attacked his father for disrespecting his Mexican heritage. Miklo has a Mexican accent, but his Caucasian appearance white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes made him less accepted among some of his family and friends. While living with his cousins in Los Angeles, CA he asks his cousin Cruz about getting his VL tattoo signifying that he is part of Vatos Locos street gang. But to Miklo’s dismay Paco tells him that he can't because of Miklo’s white skin. After hearing this Miklo then realizes that he would have to prove himself in order to be accepted into the gang. Miklo eventually gets his opportunity when a rival gang is in seen in an alley way tagging their 3P on a wall signifying Tres Puntos. Miklo sneaks up on th...

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...e stimulus. Finally, Miklo experiences since he was a child being bullied or rejected by his friends and family could have represented negative stimuli in his life. Any of these forms of GST potentially produces negative emotions that may be connected to criminal and juvenile offensives.

In conclusion, it could be said that Miklo criminality was force out by his strain to fit in with his family and friends since his white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes was not favored among his Mexican heritage. Secondly, by Miklo’s mom dumping him at his aunt’s house instead of her taking care of him further showed Miklo how was not accepted. Throughout Miklo’s life he struggled just to fit in and be accepted therefore causing him to commit deviant acts in order to be socially accepted especially within the Vatos Locos street gang and later with the prison gang known as La Onda.