East L.A. in the early 90s: Gangsta’ rap infiltrated the airwaves and the War on Drugs was in full swing. While the rest of the country watched the Rodney King riots on TV, young Angelenos saw themselves being simultaneously celebrated and vilified on the national stage.
Pop culture was already catching up with the sounds and aesthetic of East L.A. But where Hollywood was glossing over the emerging voices of black and Chicano communities with stereotypes, photojournalist Joseph Rodriguez was out to understand a new generation of young people coping with the protracted burdens of a racist drug war, gang violence and the disillusionment of poverty.