[Live streaming video of Las Maras: Street Gangs and Security in Central America and the United States will be available at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news/podcasts.]
With dangerous youth gangs becoming firmly entrenched in communities throughout the United States and Central America, a March 11 conference at Vanderbilt University will bring together leading experts to share solutions to the alarming problem.
Las Maras: Street Gangs and Security in Central America and the United States will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of The Commons Center, located at 230 Appleton Place. Four leading experts on Central American gangs will present their research and the implications for public safety, according to Edward F. Fischer, director of the Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies at Vanderbilt.
“Panelists will discuss the origins and activities of two large gang networks, in particular, the Mara Salvatrucha (MS) and the 18th Street gang (Calle 18),” Fischer said. “In addition, they will share practical information about domestic and international policies to reduce the incidence and influence of these groups.”
José Miguel Cruz, a Vanderbilt doctoral student in political science who has done extensive research on gangs, organized the conference with Fischer. “We will show how the entire community can play an important role in helping reduce the growth of gangs,” said Cruz, who is also a member of Vanderbilt’s Latin American Public Opinion Project. “Issues such as poverty, youth isolation, drugs and violence increase the likelihood of gangs, whether they are in Middle Tennessee or Central America.”
The conference, which is co-sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies and the Washington Office on Latin America, is free and open to the public.
The Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies has a strong outreach program for K-12 schools and the Nashville community, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Educators may receive two professional development points for their participation.
In addition to Cruz, who is on leave from the University Institute of Public Opinion at the University of Central America, there are four other panelists: Cheryl Maxson, associate professor, Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine; Geoff Thale, program director, Washington Office on Latin America; Elin Ranum, director, Central American Coalition for the Prevention of Youth Violence; and Sgt. Gary Kemper, Gang Investigations Unit, Metro Nashville Police Department.
For more information, contact Sarah Birdwell at 615-343-1837 or sarah.b.birdwell@vanderbilt.edu.
Media Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu