Philippe Bourgois's 'In Search Of Respect'

Before diving into the book of In Search of Respect, I expected an author merely observing the drug-dealing world around him. However, Philippe Bourgois, as an anthropologist, surprised me with his methods of research and reactions to the stories told and events that occurred during his accumulated five years in El Barrio. While conducting his participant-observation-based fieldwork study, Bourgois became increasingly involved in the every-day lives of his new friends and greatly influenced the lives of Primo, Caesar, Ray, and the other residents of El Barrio he interacted with.
Philippe Bourgois developed an honest, trusting relationship with his research subjects. Because of the strong relationship formed, many became ecstatic about being featured in his book and confided in him with their private thoughts. Primo, Caesar, and Ray greatly supported Philippe’s research, often asking him about the progress. “How’s that book comin’ Felipe? Finished yet?” (pg. 27). On one occasion, Caesar insisted he document a tail about how Ray and Luis had “raped an old male transient in the empty lot next to the Game Room,” although Bourgois

As I read, I related to many events and stories told from my observations in my hometown although I never had direct experiences. In my hometown, it is very common for the teenagers living in Sioux Villa — a poor neighborhood with a reputation for housing illegal Hispanic immigrants and “gringo crack heads and stoners” — to also face discrimination at school. Not only did they receive less attention from teachers, rules were also less strict and imposed much less when it regarded them in comparison to the more privileged kids who received more attention, support, and opportunities from teachers and other staff members. Just like Primo and Caesar did, I witnessed many of these underprivileged kids get thrown out of class for back-talking the teacher or making disruptive