an amazing movie, and then some

This movie had a tremendous impact on me and my cousins. It is very very real.
No, I did not grow up banging in ela, I grew up in downey, a low class area of l.a. but my cousin grew up in ela and he was on the frindge of banging, knife fights, and he died at age 14 OD. the dynamics of the family in the movie were like mine: 2 sisters, very different, with different kids one of whom is bi-racial is very real, and the part I relate to.
For those who feel the movie bit off more than it can chew, or perhaps that it was not realistic, especially the part of a 'half-whitey' becoming head of a prison gang; this movie is wildly right on.
Especially the non-prison scenes of ela of the time, etc.
many have called Benjamin brat's character a hypocrite and so forth, that is non-sense. in an area like that people do change, even transform as he did. many of the comments I read here show that people have never been in such an environment.
while this movie is a bit dated, it is really something any teenager should see.
If I had a dime for every time either me, my brothers or my cousin screamed at the top of our lungs: "EAST LOS!!!", I'd millionaire.
Jesse Borrego especially should be called out; this was a phenomenally powerful portrayal by him. I think if it had been about Italians by Italian-American actors, he'd have had a career like pacino.
others: teddy Wilson, the drug-dealing brothers who absolutely were my fave of the movie "like mantequilla on a hot tortilla"; mero-mero: not all gang leaders look like danny trejo. he was very realistic and a throw to the author of the book that 'American me' is based on.
have your kids watch this.