((PKG)) EX-GANG MEMBER
((Banner: Starting Fresh))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((NATS))
((LYRICS – Los Angeles Queen by King Neeko))
((Music: Jerry Hill))
"This story is based on Osita,
A Los Angeles queen,
from that F"
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
People when they meet me after I tell my story, they tell me, "you are a legend". Everything that I went through and I'm still here to talk about it. That's why I put legend on me.
((LYRICS – Los Angeles Queen by King Neeko))
((Music: Jerry Hill))
"So, by the time I turned 12, I was doing drugs,
Running up on men, asking them where they're from.
I loved stealing cars. I loved playing with guns.
So, I ain't had no childhood ‘cause I was on the run."
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
My name is Sherry Garcia and I am working at Homeboy Industries. It's basically to help you to get ready for a job and to learn how to act on yourself. If I wouldn't had came to Homeboy, who knows what I'd be doing right now.
((Emily Chapa, Substance Abuse Crisis Councilor, Homeboy Industries))
So, Homeboy Industries is an 18-month training program for gang members and recently released incarcerated men and women.
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
I've been here five months now and it's changed me. I learned how to humble myself. I learned how to look at this person like not an enemy. I love this place.
((NATS))
So, what does it feel like if you're not willing to forgive yourself and how does it hold you back from growing?
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
It's hard. I'm barely working on forgiving my mom. I was getting beat as a little girl. My mom was an alcoholic, on drugs. She was in an abusive relationship. I just remember he would come home drunk and my mom would tell me “run”.
((Emily Chapa, Substance Abuse Crisis Councilor, Homeboy Industries))
How do we make the tragic that we've been through, how do we turn that into a positive? We have tours and what they do is, they go throughout the facility and they tell what we do here, but they also get to share a part of their story and each time they get in more acceptance and more acceptance of their own story.
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
So then, at 12 years old, my mom don't like my attitude. So, she takes me to the park and there is a bunch of cholas there and I'm like she introduced me to everybody and "you're going to get into the gang" and I was like what do you mean get into the gang. Then I started pimping and getting high, selling drugs. To me when I got high, it made me numb like I'm not going to sit here and cry and think about oh, my mom don't care about me. I'm just going to get high. But the next day when you wake up, you still got the same problems, and I believe I overdosed a couple of times.
((NATS))
((Jerry Hill, Trainee, Homeboy Industries))
I'm actually a part of Homeboy Industries as well and I'm trying to rehabilitate my life as well. When she did tell me her story, it inspired me to sit down with her, wrote some stuff out about her life. Yeah, I write my own music. I'm King Neeko.
((LYRICS – Los Angeles Queen by King Neeko))
((Music: Jerry Hill))
"Los Angeles.
My streets get crazy, overdoses daily.
Los Angeles.
13 years old, I'm pimping hoes and banging.
Los Angeles."
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
This park right here is where I used to hang out at and drink all day, and I used to wake up every morning and come over here.
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
The neighborhood is always going to be there. I will never forget who they are and where I came from. I'll never forget that. It's just that I stay my distance. No, I never got out. I just stay away. You cannot get out.
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
I did walk in here a couple of times. I said, I can't do it. There's different hoods here. There's enemies here. So, I finally made it through the second door and I told Father G. He said, "How can I help you, kiddo?" I said, man, I'm gang banging, I'm doing this, I live in the hood and I need help.
((NATS))
((Emily Chapa, Substance Abuse Crisis Councilor, Homeboy Industries))
During the process of being here, they also get some skills of how to work janitorial, maybe working in the bakery, maybe working in an office. So now, they have a resume that shows that they have current job history and then the goal is to get them employment outside of Homeboy Industries.
((NATS))
This is called switching. This is really good if you are in front of the computer.
((Emily Chapa, Substance Abuse Crisis Councilor, Homeboy Industries))
We have communal gang anonymous, we have parenting, and we also have substance abuse classes. And so, what the individuals do is they come in and they learn to work on themselves.
((NATS))
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
Right here is the tattoo removal. It's laser and also like I said, it's going to take a couple of treatments.
((NATS))
So, your mom, she's going to go through some discomfort right now. It's going to feel like popping grease. Three, two, one, breathe. Here we go. And you are all done. So, we are done for now.
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
It hurts like hot burning oil. Really bad.
((NATS--Sherry’s daughter))
She is a strong woman.
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
Well, people judge me everywhere I go. People look at me because of the tattoos. It's even hard to get an apartment.
((NATS))
Do you want one of these for now?
((Sherry’s daughters))
Yes.
((Sherry Lisa García, Former gang member))
So, how was your day?
((Sherry’s granddaughter))
Good.
((Sherry Lisa García, former gang member))
I'm just asking because they did a class today and I don't even know how to move the mouse and all that.
((Sherry’s daughter))
Well, I know how to move the mouse.
((Sherry Lisa García, former gang member))
You know how to do it? And I don't. I got my girls to think about. I'm trying to show them a better life than, I'm not saying I'm perfect but, a better life than what my mom showed me because I don't want them to grow up the way I did.
((LYRICS – Los Angeles Queen by King Neeko))
((Music: Jerry Hill))
"I'm proud of you homegirl.
This song was inspired by you."
((NATS))