Gang Signal - Wikipedia

Various verbal/visual gestures used to reveal one's affiliation with a particular gang

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A gang sign, also known as a gang signal, is a verbal or visual way gang members identify their affiliation. This can take many forms including slogans, hand signs, colored clothing, and graffiti to indicate that the signaller favors, or is a member of, the associated gang. Many of these, especially slogans and hand signs, have become part of popular culture, especially in African American hip hop culture.

Hand signs

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"Throwing up" a gang sign (e.g., "stacking", "page", "gang walk", "banging") with the hands is one of the most known and obvious forms of "claiming" or stating the gang one is affiliated with. It is used in many situations where other identifiers may not be possible or appropriate, and it can also show that a gang member is in the area to "do business"[clarification needed] as opposed to just passing through. Usually, these signs are made by formation of the fingers on one or both hands to make some sort of symbol or letter.[1] It can also serve to relay more specific information, such as what set they represent within a larger gang or in which activities they are currently taking part. Individual letters can be used to tell stories when flashed in rapid succession, each representing a word beginning with that letter. These signs, because they are displayed only when wanted (as opposed to the types of identifiers above), are usually the most consistent across various areas. Many of these hand signals are quite close to other common hand signs, and this can cause confusion among gang members, non-gang members, and anti-gang authorities. Most African American and Mexican gangs use these symbols.

Another identifier that can be displayed only when desired is a gang handshake, which usually includes some component of the gang hand signs and/or other hand and finger symbols.[citation needed]

Clothing and other forms of identification

[edit] Main article: Gang colors

Clothing is a strong signal that all gangs show. The clothing gangs wear allows rival gangs to identify who is friend and who is foe. For example, the uniforms for many Hispanic gangs are standard and easily recognizable. Gangs such as the Latin Kings would wear long yellow T-shirts, baggy pants, and either a bandana or a hat, sometimes both. Black gang members are generally more individualistic with their clothing. The gang would wear specific clothing and certain accessories that would match their crew's colors. Most gang members wear brands such as Pro Club, Dickies, and Levi's.[2]

Mask

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Masks can be worn in various types of colors and ways. This is done by gang members to signify which gang they are affiliated with. The most popular mask colors are red, blue, black, white, grey, pink, and yellow. It is typically worn on the left or right back pockets of gang members. They can also be worn as a camp mask by wrapping around the head so only the eyes show.[3]

Tattoos

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Gang members will often get tattoos to represent their gang, or subset of a gang which can include markings related to the street their set is from, or a nickname of the neighborhood given by a gang. For example, members of the Maniac Latin Disciples set known as "Rata World" may get a tattoo of the street their set originates from.

Varsity clothing

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Around the 1970s to 1990s, it was common for some of Chicago's strongest street gangs to create custom varsity sweaters to represent their gang. This trend however eventually died out due to gang members in the Chicago area being robbed, beaten, or even killed by rival gangs due to the increased status of having a rival's varsity jacket, the implication being that the victim was too weak or cowardly to keep it.

Business cards

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Another common gang identifier in 1970s to 1990s Chicago were business cards. Street gangs often used these cards in order to present themselves as businessmen, or in the case of gangs like the Almighty Gaylords, were used to intimidate rivals with text telling rival gang members to hand over their gang sweaters.

Vests

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Outlaw motorcycle clubs, and even some street gangs from New York City and New Zealand have been known to wear vests with patches representing their gangs. These vests can come in a variety of materials such as denim or leather.

Tracksuits

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Tracksuits are common among street gangs and criminals in Russia since the 1980s.[4][5][6] They later become a staple feature of a criminal-derived subculture known as gopnik.[7][8]

References

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1. ^ Schweizer, Harald Otto. "Gang Signs". Website of Dr. Schweizer, professor of criminology at California State University, Fresno.
2. ^ "How Are Gangs Identified". Los Angeles Police Department.
3. ^ Waldron, Leah. "What Is the Meaning of Colored Masks?" EHow. Demand Media, 17 May 2010. Web. 05 Nov. 2012
4. ^ Stephenson, Svetlana (2021), "Russian street gangs, their social construction and political use-value", Routledge International Handbook of Critical Gang Studies, Routledge, pp. 376–385, doi:10.4324/9780429462443-31, ISBN 978-0-429-46244-3, retrieved 2024-03-14
5. ^ Loeb, Eli (2020-01-01). "Gopniki: Peripheral Masculinity in Post-Soviet Russia". Pomona Senior Theses.
6. ^ Gracheva, Anna S. and Ivanina, Ekaterina O. and Markov, Yuri and Gorbunova, Elena, Familiar and Dangerous: Not Seeing Gopnik in the Crowd (October 18, 2018). Higher School of Economics Research Paper No. WP BRP 96/PSY/2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3269227 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3269227
7. ^ Stephenson, Svetlana (2012). "The Violent Practices of Youth Territorial Groups in Moscow". Europe-Asia Studies. 64 (1): 69–90. doi:10.1080/09668136.2011.635894. ISSN 0966-8136. JSTOR 23258264.
8. ^ Habeck, Joachim Otto; Ventsel, Aimar (2009). "Consumption and Popular Culture among Youth in Siberia". Zeitschrift für Ethnologie. 134 (1): 1–22. ISSN 0044-2666. JSTOR 25843165.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Symbols of gangs.

v t e Gangs
List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates
Aspects andcomponents	Population Tattoo Sign Colors Patch Role Boss List Gangster Gun moll Henchman Informant
Types	Banditry Drug cartel Front organization Mafia Organized crime Outlaw motorcycle club Prison gang
By location	Australia Bangladesh Canada Germany New Zealand United Kingdom Glasgow Liverpool United States California Los Angeles Chicago Georgia Memphis New Orleans Prison gangs U.S. military List India Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines Papua New Guinea South Africa
Financial regulation	Cryptocurrency and crime Hawala
Commons Wiktionary

v t e Gestures
Friendly gestures	Air kiss Applause Cheek kiss Dap Elbow bump Eskimo kiss Finger heart Fist bump Forehead kiss Hand heart Handshake Hand wave High five Hongi ILY sign Kiss Liberian snap handshake Lip kiss Namaste OK Pinky swear Pound hug Shaka Thumb signal
Gestures of respect	Adab Añjali Mudrā Bow Canonical digits Curtsy Fist-and-palm Gadaw Genuflection Hand-kiss Hat tip Kowtow Kuji-in Mano Mudra Namaste Ojigi Orans Pranāma Prostration Sampeah Sembah Schwurhand Wai Zolgokh
Salutes	Bellamy salute Nazi salute Raised fist Roman salute Scout sign and salute Three-finger salute (Serbian) Three-finger salute (pro-democracy) Two-finger salute Vulcan salute Wolf salute Zogist salute
Celebratory gestures	Applause Crossed hands Fist pump High five Low five Victory clasp V sign
Finger-counting	Chinese number gestures Chisanbop Finger binary
Obscene gestures	Anasyrma Bras d'honneur Fig sign Middle finger Mooning Mountza Nazi salute Reversed V sign Shocker Sign of the horns Thumb/index-finger ring Wanker
Taunts	Akanbe Loser Talk to the hand
Head motions	Head bobble Head shake Nod
Other gestures	Air quotes Allergic salute Aussie salute Awkward turtle Che vuoi? Crossed fingers Distress signal Duterte fist Eyelid pull Facepalm Finger gun Gang signal Hand-in-waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel-Raute Pointing Pollice verso Shrug Sign of the cross (lesser sign of the cross)
Related	List of gestures Articulatory gestures Hand signals Manual communication Mudras Nonverbal communication Sign language