Emako Blue

Though a work of fiction, Emako Blue draws heavily on the realities of gang violence in Los Angeles in the 1990s and early 2000s. An article in the journal Police Chief, published in 1990, explores the prevalence of gang violence in Los Angeles during this era, the legacy of which shapes the events of Emako Blue.

The article includes a statistic that relates directly to the events of the text: “In 1989, there were 1,113 drive-by shooting incidents, accounting for 1,675 victims. The Los Angeles Police Department estimates that up to half of gang victims are not even remotely associated with any form of gang activity” (“Gang Violence in Los Angeles.” Police Chief, Gates and Jackson, 1990). These figures are staggering, especially when considering the estimation that up to half of the victims of gang-related violence are not gang-affiliated. Emako becomes one such statistic when she dies in a gang-related drive-by shooting at the end of the text.

Senseless violence due to gang activity is an unfortunate fact of life for many of the characters in Emako Blue although it affects them differently. Jamal articulates this anxiety in one of his chapters when he describes the prevalence of gang violence in his community: “Every time you turned around, someone was getting shot in L.A., and I didn’t want my name added to the growing list” (76). Jamal has no interest in gang activity or affiliation, dreaming instead of a future in which he is a famous music producer working alongside Emako. Although he is unaffiliated, Jamal worries about being a victim of gang-related violence himself: “you could just be out in your ride with the music bumpin’ [...] and then a car rolls by slowly and Bang! Bang! Bang! The lights go out [...] People left standing around talking to the media who claim you were ‘gang related’ when the only thing you were related to were your moms and pops” (76-77). Jamal’s anxieties heighten further with the knowledge that the media, steeped in bias and racism, will categorize him as a gang member simply because he is Black.

Eddie, too, worries about gang violence in his community, relating most to Emako because his brother is also gang-affiliated and currently incarcerated. Eddie understands the senselessness and randomness of the violence associated with gangs, and he lives in fear that he could be the next innocent victim. He describes an encounter with local gang members at a bus stop: “They were driving a Chevy with tinted windows. They slowed down and I felt the fear. I whispered a prayer, asking God to protect me. I didn’t want a bullet in my spine or head. I wanted to see my future. I was innocent. Innocence had to count for something” (70). The gang members do flash a sign at Eddie, who shrugs, and they leave him alone. Though he emerges unscathed, the experience leaves Eddie shaken, knowing how easily the encounter could have gone differently. Eddie cites his innocence in this scene, believing that he deserves to live because he is unaffiliated. As he learns later on through Emako’s murder, senseless violence does not care who is innocent and who is guilty; the innocent are just as susceptible to harm as the guilty.