The Sureños, or Sur for short, are a Hispanic street gang with origins in Southern California, connected with the Mexican Mafia prison organization. Opposing the Mexican Mafia is the Nuestra Familia, which similarly has spawned a street chapter, the Norteños. A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. ... Southern California Los Angeles, rush hour on the Harbor Freeway San Diego Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal, is an informal name for the southern one-third of the state of California. ... Background The Mexican Mafia is the biggest most feared prison gang formed in the 1950s by Hispanic street gang members incarcerated at the Deuel Vocational Institution, located in Tracy, California, USA. The founding members formed the organization to protect Hispanics from other such gangs within Californias jails and prisons. ... Background The Mexican Mafia is the biggest most feared prison gang formed in the 1950s by Hispanic street gang members incarcerated at the Deuel Vocational Institution, located in Tracy, California, USA. The founding members formed the organization to protect Hispanics from other such gangs within Californias jails and prisons. ... The Norteños (Spanish for northerners), also called Nuestra Familia (Our Family), are a coalition of Hispanic gangs in North America, based in northern California. ... The Norteños (Spanish for northerners), also called Nuestra Familia (Our Family), are a coalition of Hispanic gangs in North America, based in northern California. ...

Gang identification

The Sureños were the first gang to make use of gang colors to distinguish themselves from other gangs. The state of California prison system provided railroad handkerchiefs to inmates in two standard colors: red or blue. Hispanic inmates from Southern California selected or claimed the blue bandanas to identify themselves. Once a member of the Sureños "graduates" off the street and into the prison system they are designated a part of the Mexican Mafia organization. A handkerchief or hanky is a square of fabric, usually carried in the pocket, for personal hygenic purposes such as wiping ones hands or blowing ones nose. ... This article refers to an imprisoned person. ...

The Sureños identify themselves with the number thirteen, using decimal or Roman numerals, or a combination of both, ie: 13, XIII or X3or"3ce" and other creative means of symbolism -- this signifies the 13th letter of the alphabet, the letter M, meaning "La Eme" or "The M": the Mexican Mafia. Numerals are also incorporated into the tattoos, such as the "three dots" tattoo which is the representation for the number three within the Aztec numeral system. The system of Roman numerals is a numeral system originating in ancient Rome, and was adapted from Etruscan numerals. ... M is the thirteenth letter of the Latin alphabet. ... This article is about the tattoo, a design in ink or some other pigment, usually decorative or symbolic, placed permanently under the skin. ... The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th century. ... A numeral is a symbol or group of symbols that represents a number. ...

The Norteños, who rival the Sureños, identify themselves with the number fourteen, representing the letter N, the 14th letter of the alphabet. Sureños are known for the "Shoot to Kill" code of honor against the Norteños and the African American gangs.Nortenos hate Mexicans, so they are more Americanized. The Norteños (Spanish for northerners), also called Nuestra Familia (Our Family), are a coalition of Hispanic gangs in North America, based in northern California. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...