From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members

According to estimates from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), out of the approximately four million individuals deported from the U.S. in the past decade, a significant proportion — at least 20% — were former gang members. After serving their sentences, these individuals were expel...

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Main Authors: Arturo Fabián-Jiménez, Carlos S. Ibarra-Ramírez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Rafael Belloso Chacín 2025-05-01
Series:Telos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en Ciencias Sociales
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.urbe.edu/index.php/telos/article/view/3815
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author Arturo Fabián-Jiménez
Carlos S. Ibarra-Ramírez
author_facet Arturo Fabián-Jiménez
Carlos S. Ibarra-Ramírez
author_sort Arturo Fabián-Jiménez
collection DOAJ
description According to estimates from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), out of the approximately four million individuals deported from the U.S. in the past decade, a significant proportion — at least 20% — were former gang members. After serving their sentences, these individuals were expelled to Mexico. Due to their distinctive physical characteristics and hybrid cultural identities, these deportees are likely to confront myriad hurdles in their efforts to assimilate into Mexican society. This study endeavors to explore the social pathways and opportunities available to these individuals for societal reintegration, with the aim of comprehending the essence of their assimilation processes. Additionally, this research seeks to identify the key actors and contexts that enable these deportees' reintegration into their new lives in Mexico. To fulfill these objectives, we carried out a series of comprehensive interviews with former gang members, now deportees, residing in Guadalajara. The findings underscore the severity of the challenges these individuals face in terms of social integration: significant issues include family reintegration and the acquisition of employment; the development of mental health disorders; a predilection towards alcohol and drug use, leading to potential addiction; and an increased susceptibility to violence and entanglement in organized crime.
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spelling doaj-art-41726cb6e7e24cb7acdc6d009b59453b2025-08-20T02:32:07ZengUniversidad Rafael Belloso ChacínTelos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en Ciencias Sociales1317-05702343-57632025-05-0127263965910.36390/telos272.143815From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang membersArturo Fabián-Jiménez0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4723-4931Carlos S. Ibarra-Ramírez1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9099-9238Universidad de GuadalajaraEscuela de Antropología e Historia del Norte de MéxicoAccording to estimates from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), out of the approximately four million individuals deported from the U.S. in the past decade, a significant proportion — at least 20% — were former gang members. After serving their sentences, these individuals were expelled to Mexico. Due to their distinctive physical characteristics and hybrid cultural identities, these deportees are likely to confront myriad hurdles in their efforts to assimilate into Mexican society. This study endeavors to explore the social pathways and opportunities available to these individuals for societal reintegration, with the aim of comprehending the essence of their assimilation processes. Additionally, this research seeks to identify the key actors and contexts that enable these deportees' reintegration into their new lives in Mexico. To fulfill these objectives, we carried out a series of comprehensive interviews with former gang members, now deportees, residing in Guadalajara. The findings underscore the severity of the challenges these individuals face in terms of social integration: significant issues include family reintegration and the acquisition of employment; the development of mental health disorders; a predilection towards alcohol and drug use, leading to potential addiction; and an increased susceptibility to violence and entanglement in organized crime.https://ojs.urbe.edu/index.php/telos/article/view/3815deportationsocial integrationchicano gang memberspost-deportation challengesreintegration strategies
spellingShingle Arturo Fabián-Jiménez
Carlos S. Ibarra-Ramírez
From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
Telos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en Ciencias Sociales
deportation
social integration
chicano gang members
post-deportation challenges
reintegration strategies
title From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
title_full From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
title_fullStr From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
title_full_unstemmed From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
title_short From street life to mainstream society: understanding post-deportation journey of former chicano gang members
title_sort from street life to mainstream society understanding post deportation journey of former chicano gang members
topic deportation
social integration
chicano gang members
post-deportation challenges
reintegration strategies
url https://ojs.urbe.edu/index.php/telos/article/view/3815
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