From The Ghetto to the Burbs.. posted 7/18/2009 9:30:24 AM | 10 kudos what's this?     report abuse

POPO

I am always amazed at the people who put you down, because you came from the poor side of town! I started Life in Compton and N.Long Beach Calif. For those who are not familiar with the area, It's not the safest place to be, especially at night. My first look at life was from the Black side of town, I grew up early on with the Crips..It was a housing project called Via Carmelita's,That's right I grew up with the brotha's, where I was treated no differently then my fellow brothers, we were all broke livin in da hood aka projects! Where I learned how to fight and not back down, My brothas took me in and treated me with respect, taught me their ways and slang, nicked name me Casper..lol. In those days to Joe public and the cops I was a sell out, even lower then the one's they hated, For that I will always be Grateful! It taught me lessons of just how nasty racism can be.

Then welfare gave us a raise lol..and we moved to a Varrio called Chivas.....That's when Life really begain and the Vatos took me in..after all I am part Mexican, well they jumped me in, that's how you get in a gang, and I became a Homeboy! A Vato loco, and proud day for me,lol.....La Raza, taught me Loyalty and backin up your gang, I learned all about the culture and the Chicano way of life! They nick named me El Dino,cuz I was a bit of a Romeo and could break into anything! ( not bragging ) but it was, what it was! We had a falling out over some White boys......aka surfers! That was all the rage in those days, Whites against Chicano's at school, and well, anywhere you went really.

The surfers were jumping on a homeboy and a big fight was to ensue after school, only my homeboys decided there were to many white boys, so they werent going to show! The crazy part of it was, I was going to show with or with out them, that's right i lived by Mi Vida loca, another Varrio called Artesia told me they would back me up if I joined their Varrio, So I did, even at the risk of "Blood In Blood Out" thus the name El POPO was given to me...Some here thought it might mean Cop, quite the opposite. another proud day for me in those days.......El POPO is a Volcano in Mexico! that erupts without warning! The volcano and the gang can both be Googled now days

What I found to be the craziest thing of all, Blacks killed blacks, the fighting and drive by shootings were black on black, with a few mixed or white boys in their..lol
Chicano's killed each other, brown on brown crime, Yet we always said Viva La Raza (long live the race) didn't make allot of sense to me. Life in L.A. or East Los and South Central is very different then what many of the movies show.The movie "Colors" came really close to how is was and even show'd Varrio's I knew well, "Boyz in da Hood" was another one that lends a good view of life in da hoods.

At age 17 I had 11 arrest and charged with 17 felonies, I was in and out of every juvi in L.A. Mi Vida Loca...The state of California extradited me in hand cuffs to a place called Arkansas.. Talk about cultural shock....going from a concrete jungle to Mayberry.. Where I dated my first white girl.. It should be obvious I'm not prejudice, I just never really had much interaction with them growing up. I saw some prejudice things in Arkansas I really only thought happen in the movies, The laundry mat had a sign out front that read "No Colored's" So I asked the old white guy running the place, where do I wash my colored clothes at? he laughed and said that means no niggers... It felt like I was in a time warp!

Anyway, living in the south opened my eyes to both the good and bad sides of life. Ironically I learned to love the south, the Soutern Hospitality, Southern Respectful ways, and of course the Southern Women... Wow I have never dated white girls before that...Those Southern Girls drove me crazy.. later on in life I moved into a white suburb! and was amazed at the thought process of those who have! And how they put down those who dont have $ I was blessed enough to have a company at the time that was making money, I bought the only house with an in ground pool in this Burb, I drove a corvette and my wife (a white girl) drove a new bonneville. See what happens when poor boy from the Ghetto get's a little money? he marrys a white girl... I'm kidding! sometimes I just crack me up....

Seeing LIFE from the Black side of town! The Brown side of town! and Then the White side of town! Has given me an insight, that money can't buy. I have concluded that Money can sometimes cause people to forget the important eliments that make us all equal as a people! Reaching out to one another and treating everybody as Brothers and Sisters!

Regardless of your education, I completed the 9th grade and kicked out of the 10th grade and told never to come back I figured it out though, the A students teach, the B students work for the C students, and D students get rich... Many think it's the size of your bank account, that makes you who you are?.....we are all just people who should reach out to one another, and lend a helping hand up! not a slap........And maybe in the process we can learn to appreciate each other, not for what we drive, but how we drive each other to better people. I see some here who mock those without a college education and are impertinent to those who don't? Their animadversions and antipathy are both Stodginess, illuminating them as ultracrepidarians.. The truly intelligent don't have to brag or put others down to feel superior.

It does not matter the color of your skin, it's how you live your life and where it all begin! So I Tip My Hat To Those who have embraced me, from all ages all colors,cultures and races, I am today, what you were to me yesterday..
Con Todo Respecto....Mi Gente/La familia "No hay mal de que por bien, no vega!"
With complete respect to my friends and family, There's nothing so bad, that any good can't come from it.(basic translation)

from the Chronicles of Popo...

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