Emily Rios(I)

When I was young, I thought it was normal to go to sleep to the sounds of sirens. People on my block were in the biggest gang in the city. They were my close friends -- they showed me the ropes, who to watch out for. There, in El Monte, it's like one big home for everybody -- you kind of get intimidated, but they're the nicest people. In West Covina, they can treat a person like complete shit, like you're a dog.