The University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, is renowned as a world-class institution and is often referred to as the “backyard of Hollywood.” However, what many do not realize is that just beyond its walls lies another world. In this world, two vastly different social classes—gang members roaming the streets and USC students riding their bikes home—often coexist on the same streets, forming a unique and contrasting scene in Los Angeles. While USC shines under the global spotlight, what is the reality of the “hidden corners” surrounding it? Is the area around USC as dangerous and crime-ridden as many believe?
Let’s take a closer look at the neighborhoods officially designated by USC as “safe zones” and explore the real gangs operating nearby: Fruit Town Brims, Harpys 13, Rollin’ 20s, ATC 13, and others. These smaller gangs originally branched off from Los Angeles’ two infamous gangs: the Crips and the Bloods. The rivalry between the Crips and the Bloods has existed since their inception, deeply ingraining gang hatred into everyday life. Over time, some smaller gangs either split from or became branches of the Crips and Bloods, eventually forming the gangs near USC.
Each gang has its own territory. For instance, Fruit Town Brims primarily operates along 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th Streets, areas they refer to as “5, 6, 7, 8.” The Harpys’ territory is mainly north of USC, around Adams Boulevard and 23rd Street. Rollin’ 20s has long occupied the northwest neighborhoods of USC, near Jefferson Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. Normally, these gangs stay within their own areas peacefully. However, if members of rival gangs enter another’s territory to provoke, rob, or sell drugs, conflicts can escalate from street fights to shootings and even murders.
In July 2008, the independent media outlet “Street TV” conducted street interviews with members of Fruit Town Brims, including Gee Aktive, Lil, and Baby Stretch. When discussing the current state of the neighborhood, Gee Aktive aggressively stated that Fruit Town Brims was actively eliminating members of rival gangs. He warned that if an enemy gang entered their territory, they would be shot or “destroyed.” He emphasized that peaceful coexistence with enemy gangs, such as the Crips-affiliated 30s and 40s, was impossible. If an opposing gang harmed a Fruit Town Brims member (G-Homies), they would undoubtedly retaliate.
When asked about USC students living just a street away, Gee Aktive said:
“We just see more people around. They come to our streets, driving or biking home. Anyone can get caught up in gang conflicts, even innocent bystanders. Even if they did nothing wrong, people still die—because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just recently, at 36th and West Street, one of our G-Homies was shot by another gang. That was hilarious.”
Despite his intimidating tone, Gee Aktive did not include USC students on his “threat list,” merely viewing them as “innocent bystanders.” In contrast, Lil and Baby Stretch offered a more humanistic perspective. In a 2014 street interview, they responded differently when asked the same question:
“We are here to protect our community. Just like USC’s current situation, we don’t want USC students to feel uncomfortable. Because if they do, then our neighborhood loses its purpose. We want them to feel comfortable so we can hang out here. We don’t want them thinking, ‘We can’t go outside because the Fruits (Fruit Town Brims) might hurt us.’ We want USC students to feel safe because we also came from far away to get an education. Education is important—I 100% support that. We have kids, too—I really wish I could study at USC.”
Whether from Gee Aktive’s aggressive remarks or Lil and Baby Stretch’s more understanding perspective, it is evident that gangs near USC primarily engage in conflicts with other gangs rather than targeting USC students, including Chinese international students. Neither the 2012 murder of Ming Qu and Ying Wu nor the 2014 killing of Xinran Ji had any proven connections to local gangs. Both crimes were purely acts of robbery and murder. In comparison, in July 2018, Chinese national Ruochen Liao was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by two other Chinese nationals, Peicheng Shen and Guangyao Yang, in the Los Angeles Chinese community. His body was later buried in the Mojave Desert. This raises an unsettling question: Why do people commit such brutal acts against their own countrymen?
As a former USC international student who lived on 36th Street (Fruit Town Brims’ territory) for two years, I personally feel that gangs can be compared to aggressive animals. Like most animals, if you don’t provoke them, they are unlikely to attack—unless they are insane or desperate. In contrast, humans are the ones most likely to harm their own kind and know exactly how to do so.
Finally, is the area around USC safe or dangerous? No one can provide a definitive answer. In Los Angeles, anything can happen at any moment. As Lil and Baby Stretch mentioned in their interview:
“We can’t control what other gangs do, but we, the Fruit Town Brims, can guarantee this: From Vermont Avenue in the east to Normandie Avenue in the west, from Jefferson Boulevard in the north to Exposition Boulevard in the south—you are OK here.”
The University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, is renowned as a world-class institution and is often referred to as the “backyard of Hollywood.” However, what many do not realize is that just beyond its walls lies another world. In this world, two vastly different social classes—gang members roaming the streets and USC students riding their bikes home—often coexist on the same streets, forming a unique and contrasting scene in Los Angeles. While USC shines under the global spotlight, what is the reality of the “hidden corners” surrounding it? Is the area around USC as dangerous and crime-ridden as many believe?
Let’s take a closer look at the neighborhoods officially designated by USC as “safe zones” and explore the real gangs operating nearby: Fruit Town Brims, Harpys 13, Rollin’ 20s, ATC 13, and others. These smaller gangs originally branched off from Los Angeles’ two infamous gangs: the Crips and the Bloods. The rivalry between the Crips and the Bloods has existed since their inception, deeply ingraining gang hatred into everyday life. Over time, some smaller gangs either split from or became branches of the Crips and Bloods, eventually forming the gangs near USC.
Each gang has its own territory. For instance, Fruit Town Brims primarily operates along 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th Streets, areas they refer to as “5, 6, 7, 8.” The Harpys’ territory is mainly north of USC, around Adams Boulevard and 23rd Street. Rollin’ 20s has long occupied the northwest neighborhoods of USC, near Jefferson Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. Normally, these gangs stay within their own areas peacefully. However, if members of rival gangs enter another’s territory to provoke, rob, or sell drugs, conflicts can escalate from street fights to shootings and even murders.
In July 2008, the independent media outlet “Street TV” conducted street interviews with members of Fruit Town Brims, including Gee Aktive, Lil, and Baby Stretch. When discussing the current state of the neighborhood, Gee Aktive aggressively stated that Fruit Town Brims was actively eliminating members of rival gangs. He warned that if an enemy gang entered their territory, they would be shot or “destroyed.” He emphasized that peaceful coexistence with enemy gangs, such as the Crips-affiliated 30s and 40s, was impossible. If an opposing gang harmed a Fruit Town Brims member (G-Homies), they would undoubtedly retaliate.
When asked about USC students living just a street away, Gee Aktive said:
“We just see more people around. They come to our streets, driving or biking home. Anyone can get caught up in gang conflicts, even innocent bystanders. Even if they did nothing wrong, people still die—because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just recently, at 36th and West Street, one of our G-Homies was shot by another gang. That was hilarious.”
Despite his intimidating tone, Gee Aktive did not include USC students on his “threat list,” merely viewing them as “innocent bystanders.” In contrast, Lil and Baby Stretch offered a more humanistic perspective. In a 2014 street interview, they responded differently when asked the same question:
“We are here to protect our community. Just like USC’s current situation, we don’t want USC students to feel uncomfortable. Because if they do, then our neighborhood loses its purpose. We want them to feel comfortable so we can hang out here. We don’t want them thinking, ‘We can’t go outside because the Fruits (Fruit Town Brims) might hurt us.’ We want USC students to feel safe because we also came from far away to get an education. Education is important—I 100% support that. We have kids, too—I really wish I could study at USC.”
Whether from Gee Aktive’s aggressive remarks or Lil and Baby Stretch’s more understanding perspective, it is evident that gangs near USC primarily engage in conflicts with other gangs rather than targeting USC students, including Chinese international students. Neither the 2012 murder of Ming Qu and Ying Wu nor the 2014 killing of Xinran Ji had any proven connections to local gangs. Both crimes were purely acts of robbery and murder. In comparison, in July 2018, Chinese national Ruochen Liao was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by two other Chinese nationals, Peicheng Shen and Guangyao Yang, in the Los Angeles Chinese community. His body was later buried in the Mojave Desert. This raises an unsettling question: Why do people commit such brutal acts against their own countrymen?
As a former USC international student who lived on 36th Street (Fruit Town Brims’ territory) for two years, I personally feel that gangs can be compared to aggressive animals. Like most animals, if you don’t provoke them, they are unlikely to attack—unless they are insane or desperate. In contrast, humans are the ones most likely to harm their own kind and know exactly how to do so.
Finally, is the area around USC safe or dangerous? No one can provide a definitive answer. In Los Angeles, anything can happen at any moment. As Lil and Baby Stretch mentioned in their interview:
“We can’t control what other gangs do, but we, the Fruit Town Brims, can guarantee this: From Vermont Avenue in the east to Normandie Avenue in the west, from Jefferson Boulevard in the north to Exposition Boulevard in the south—you are OK here.”