Why do young and often black and brown men join street gangs?

[Anonymous]

It’s very sad.

[Metallsturm]

Typically it's due to environment they're born and raised in; if most noticeable, well-off and influential people in your neighborhood from your early age are gangstas, you will start looking up to them. This isn't limited to blacks and browns; a lot of white mafiosi (back when mafia was strong) started the same way, growing up in poor neighborhoods and observing mafiosi "living the life", not really knowing all the stuff behind the scenes.

When these gangstas tell youngsters not to join gangs (as a lot of them regret their life choices), however, and instead suggest attending school and whatnot (out of a genuine moment of kindness), this is typically wrongly received by young minds as an insult that they're too weak to join the gang.

[Zenpanda]

Most often it's environment and influence.
They are often dealt a bad hand and have to deal with it in any way they can. Older people who've been in that same cycle influence them and generation after generation gets stuck in that pattern.
Racism, discrimination and poverty pretty much cripple peoples chances of a good life especially at the start.
The criminal circuit is an easy place to wind up in at that point.

[Anonymous]

In European countries like Germany, the UK, and Sweden its because they open their borders to people from other countries then deny them jobs and adequate housing, plus they don't respect their law enforcement since they don't carry firearms and most look like they couldn't put a dent in a stick in a butter.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Because immigrants come from poorer countries and start a family tree in another country that eventually leads down that path

[Tiger288]

Yea I feel u bro I saw it all in my childhood. Thanks God for my grandpa and step grandpa always there for me. If not for them I would join gang long time ago

[gorydetails]

Because they don’t have fathers, and the gangs provide that structure they crave.