Test Post 2
Nestled in the heart of orchard country, Yakima is a charming small city that suffers from a big-city gang problem. Yakima has the perfect storm of factors that contribute to the prevalence of gang activity, but at the root of them all lies poverty. 16.1% of Yakima’s residents live beneath the poverty line, which is significantly more than the Washington state average of 10.3% (US Census Bureau, 2024). According to WAY Program Manager Alfredo Orozco, who grew up in Yakima gang life, poverty makes kids feel that their options are limited. “Growing up poor in Yakima, you basically have two options—becoming a rapper, which is gang related, or selling drugs.” This sentiment is echoed by WAY mentees, 85% of whom, when surveyed shortly after joining the program, indicated that they sometimes or often found themselves forced to pick between two bad choices, with no other way out. Francisco Chiprez, a WAY Mentor, added that young men in particular are lured in by flashy, luxurious displays of guns, clothing, jewelry, cars, and women by the “older homies,” authority figures reaping the financial and cultural rewards of gang life.
