Salisbury, Harrison E. "Youth Gang Members Tell of Lives, Hates and Fears; City's 'Shook-Up' Youth: Their Lives are Found Lacking in the Basic Securities." New York Times 25 March 1958: 1.

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This article, one of a seven-part series written in the midst of gang-related turmoil in New York and Los Angeles in the 1950's, examines the conditions that lead to street gang formation and the deterioration of the neighborhoods they control. First is the case of 17-year-old Vincent, the immigrant Puerto Rican leader of one of New York's street gangs. He explains that his primary motivation for involvement, like many others his age, is safety and security. The members of Vincent's gang are highly distrustful of those outside of the gang, relying instead on only those companions who have proven their loyalty. Vincent also claims that Puerto Ricans and other non-natives are subject to unfair treatment at the hands of their so-called protectors: the police. The local police are no more welcoming of the Puerto Rican presence than the local natives, and with even a minor smudge on one's record, a decent job and a fair living become almost entirely out of reach. Vincent himself was prevented from graduating high school by a false conviction from the police. The article also uses the case study of Tommy, another gang leader, who sees the Army as the only guaranteed way of escaping the dangerous neighborhoods where the gangs reign. He explains that gangs are places where his presence is not only valued but respected--in stark contrast to places like school, where he is struggling to succeed, and home, where instability and deprivation are ever-present.

The racism found even within the police force can be seen in West Side Story. Lieutenant Schrank's biased treatment of the gangs shows clear preference for the white Jets. He not only lets them get away with more trouble, but he agrees with them that the Sharks are encroaching on the Jets' territory. He is not entirely respectful or fair to either group, but he saves the majority of his abuse for the Puerto Ricans. In the article, Tommy mentions his dislike of school, although it is one of the few places in the neighborhood that has been declared "neutral territory." The situation is the same in the film--the high school (where the dance is held) is the exclusive turf of neither gang since they have no choice but to coexist on its grounds. The gang members need for security is understandable, as they are always at risk of attack at the hands of the rival gang. The opening scene of West Side Story illustrates this well--the power switches hands numerous times depending on which group's members outnumber the other's. The members almost always travel in groups of two, three, or more, as the most precarious situation one can be caught in is being alone and cornered by the rival gang, as happens to Baby John, who narrowly escapes.

 

Negron-Muntaner, Frances. "Feeling Pretty: West Side Story and Puerto Rican Identity Discourses." Social Text 18.2 (2000): 83-106.

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West Side Story is often hailed as an intimate look at street life in poor, racially divided New York neighborhoods, but this paper argues that the film's dealings with New York City gang life is superficial and uninformed. There is agreement that, while dealing very generally with relevant themes, the story is not intended to realistically represent Puerto Rican immigration or culture. The creators of the play and film admit that their knowledge was limited even during the film's production.

The film portrays the Puerto Rican identities in a stereotypical manner--the males are all violent, aggressive gang members, while the females are all highly sexualized, whether overtly (Anita) or innocently (Maria) and rarely seen without a male escort. Racialization, or the collection of techniques used to enhance the racial divides, is the cause of much of the film's tension. Makeup is used to make Bernardo's skin darker, both Maria and Bernardo have obviously falsified Puerto Rican accents, and the European-descended Jets all happen to be blonde-haired. Negron-Muntaner notes that without these tricks, all the actors would appear to be simply American. The Puerto Ricans are presented throughout the film amidst a generic "Latino" culture of bright colors, broad movements, and unidentifiable music and accents. One particularly persuasive point for the racial inequality shown by the story's creators is the relative quality of a Puerto Rican vs. American life. Maria was brought to the U.S. to marry Chino, another Puerto Rican, but only finds happiness (and self esteem, as evidenced by her song, "I Feel Pretty") when she receives the affections of Tony, a white man.

The other important topic discussed in this paper is the issue of Puerto Rican/U.S. territoriality. Puerto Rico is the U.S.'s most significant territory, and the turf war between the Jets and the Sharks somewhat reflects the colonial relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As Negron-Muntaner explains, "Puerto Rico itself belongs to, but is not a part of, the United States; it is bound by the law but has no rights under the law" (86). So it is with the Puerto Rican characters of West Side Story; they are citizens of New York but "belonging" is just as out of reach as it would be for Puerto Ricans still living on their home island. The article also touches upon the themes of homosexuality and gender identity in the film, notably in the characters of Baby John and Anybodys, but as these claims are not as well argued or supported, nor readily apparent upon a more-or-less casual analysis of the film, the articles focus is on the racial themes.