Always Running is the vivid debut book of Luis J. Rodriguez. Set against the backdrop of crime and poverty, Always Running is a memoir that brings the reader into the life of a former Los Angeles gang member. Frightening honest and at times sadly eloquent Always Running is a testament to surviving the gang lifestyle. The book quickly reveals in the prologue that Luis managed to get away from the gang life and began to focus on being creative and also focus on the advancement of the Chicano people. This isn't his main reason for writing the book however, his young son who became involved in a gang is his main concern and to whom the book is dedicated.


Luis and his siblings where born in El Paso but the family moved back and forth between there and Mexico. His father was a teacher but was sent to jail for reasons that were never revealed. The family ends up in one of the poorest sections of Los Angeles, Watts and soon Luis finds himself surrounded by La Vida Loca, or The Crazy Life. This particular La Vida Loca isn't what Ricky Martin sings about it is a world filled with violence, sex, suicide, drugs, prison and of course death.


Luis attempts to stay in school, which is incredibly difficult considering Latino students are treated very badly. The predominantly black and Latino schools don't receive the same funding and in the late sixties early seventies racial and gang related confrontations were daily occurrences in school. Luis began a cycle of getting kicked out of school, then lading up in jail or on drugs. At this point when he was around 14 he began "sniffing" anything he could get his hands on. His parents began to get tired of Luis disrespect the family and the house so they kicked him out to live in the small garage.

Soon after this he is "jumped" into the Lomas gang and with several friends begins wrecking havoc on the lives of rival gang members. Luis finds himself participating in beatings, riots and multiple sexual partners. His use of drugs becomes a problem when heroin and PCP become very accessible to the poverty stricken streets of Los Angeles. He describes his lingering depression through out his high school years and his two attempts at suicide. He acknowledges that several times he wanted to leave the gang life but it always managed to suck him back in. He also describes the terrifying police brutality, who condoned their on action by stating that their treatment of gang members helped protect the law abiding citizens of LA. What they didn't admit was that if you were brown you were going to get stopped harassed and probably arrested.

Throughout his teenage years Luis reveals that he was writing what was the beginning of Always Running.He bounces from school to school and eventually becomes involved in Chicano organizations. This seems to put some stability in his life but the deaths of several friends and family members leaves Luis feeling empty.

During this time Luis's family is in the process of breaking down. His sister becomes involved in the gang life and his brother is murdered shortly after. His father experiences an inability to become an American teacher and his mother struggles with learning the English language. Luis never glamorizes the gang life but manages to explain his reasoning as to why he had to get involved in the lifestyle. The reader begins to understand that his volatile behavior is a reaction against what their young lives were like. Luis eventually embraces writing poetry and helping Chicano people advance. He finds that his organizational skills are far more helpful to his people than a gun or a knife in his hand. His struggles to leave the gang life bring him full circle as his young son begins to embrace the life. After reading a poem written by his son, Ramiro, Luis helps his son leave his gang and realize his life is more valuable to his family than to his gang.

Always Running is written in episodic structure with bits of poetry stuck in. There are several memorable parts in the books one being when Luis describes himself stabbing an innocent man with a screwdriver. He does not reveal if the man lives or not but his pain and self-loathing are evident in subsequent chapters. Always Running is easy for readers of all ethnicities to understand because it serves as a reminder that even beautiful things can grow out of a concrete jungle. The book includes a detailed prologue and epilogues which gives the reader insight into Luis's adult family. It also includes a Spanish glossary because many statements are written in Spanish.

Luis Rodriguez currently lives in Chicago with his family and runs the Tia Chucha Press which publishes poetry from inner city youth.



Recommended: Yes