Abstract
In this article, I summarize, through the use of two case studies, the anthropological contributions when working with farmworker–migrant youth who have become “gang‐involved.” The Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) worked with a total of 65 youth and their families in a federal antigang initiative, with one session being held in a Presbyterian‐based farmworker mission and another at a middle school. Both groups of youth live in rural Hillsborough County, Florida, with a lack of afterschool or other prosocial opportunities outside of school. I share my personal experiences and reflections on how I got involved in working with gangs, which had not been a priority for me in the past. One area of concern was our finding that youth were recruited into gangs and risky behaviors through friendship and familial networks. The school‐based youth did not fare as well as the mission‐based group, principally because of labeling by the school and the lack of autonomy of youth in a school setting to take ownership of the program. I provide recommendations for anthropologists working with youth who live “la vida loca” or the crazy life.
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