A HISTORY LESSON
There's a a lot of action that goes on in the comments section. I'm not sure that everyone who logs on takes the time to read all the comments. Some are just too good to leave there. I picked this one to run as a post because it's important and it's the absolute straight deal. You're not going to hear anything more authentic than this. It's from regular commenter TIJUANAJAILER. This is the gospel. Everything between quote marks is his. Enjoy and be edified.

"Before people get their feathers ruffled any further it is important to understand that the EME, AB, BGF and NF (California's AXIS of EVIL) does not care about ethnic pride. From Day One, EME began exploiting fellow Chicanos. According to one former EME member's description: "they are an Equal Opportunity Exploiter". End of story. The NF formed out of their being abused by EME and they evolved into a criminal cartel with NO regard (I repeat NO regard) for their people, be they campesinos or northern California gang members. If anyone is being "punked" (as many posters are fond of saying), it is the north AND south gang members by these two groups. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
The AB started out as biker "types" and white racist, black-hating warriors. They too evolved into gangsters who could care less about white supremacy and more about the green almighty dollar. The BGF, led originally by James "Doc" Holliday has long since surrendered its
anti-establishment ideology for good old capitalist living. I doubt that the proceeds from their meth labs go back to furthering the "Black Cause".
There are two historical components to the EME-AB alliance and the NF-BGF alliance. There is the racial component and the power component. In prison, it was well known that the blacks and whites were "natural" enemies. Due to the color of their skin, this "natural" racial divide would always separate these groups.
When the EME emerged, they were into power and control and they didn't care who you were nor what color your skin was. Domination, exploitation and terrorizing (there's that dreaded word again) the main population was what they were about. Their power struggle was one that was fresh from the CYA, county jail facilities and wherever Chicanos and Blacks were housed together. The fact that they shared similar social plights on the outside was not a relevant factor on the inside. They never thought about the fact that they indeed shared common dilemnas.
So understand this: EME and southern gang members never really hated blacks because of the color of their skin but more because of the numerical threat they represented. It was about power. Those of you who have done time for many years (especially those of you who were "state raised") will attest to the fact that a handful of Chicanos could confront a large group of blacks and send them "running" like a stampede of cattle by just blinking their eyes.
Then you had your "cream of the crop". The BGF and hard core radicals. They actually respected and admired EME members. In fact, when George Jackson, Hugo "Yogi" Pinell & company decided to take over the San Quentin Adjustment Center, who was there fighting alongside them: Luis "Bala" Talamantez and Louie "Rock On Lou" Lopez, two fierce EME enforcers. In an unholy alliance, they "teamed up" to execute three (3) prison guards and left a stack of injured guards in a cell presumably dead. Read the following link for some interesting stuff: http://rwor.org/a/v20/960-69/969/talam.htm
There is a strange bond (sealed in blood) that unites the EME and the BGF. Their old timers could probably swap some very interesting war stories.
Their unique power struggle was joined by two other groups with axes to grind. The AB loved the fact that the EME's power struggle with BGF (mostly in the CDC's lock-up units) dove tailed perfectly with their "racial" struggle against the black militants. They became EME's natural allies in this battle. Then the NF entered the scene. Their agenda was to resist EME's exploitation of "farmers" and oppressed raza and the flag they initially flew was the flag of ridding oppressed people from the tyranny of La EME. Of course, they found a natural ally in the BGF. Once the NF found themselves effectively separated from EME members, their agenda changed to organized criminal endeavors and this North-South thing became a way of keeping the proverbial pot stirred for the purpose of maintaining control over nortenos (NF) and surenos (EME). And life became a "beautiful" thing for these groups.
There was no real "love" between EME and AB, just a common "business goal". There was no real "love" between NF and BGF, just a self-serving and common "business goal". The prison administration played a major role in "divide and conquer" (as the convicts liked to say) but it was really "divide and control".
Had the prison administration not succeeded in separating these groups there is absolutely no doubt that EME and AB would have run the Yards today and life in prison (if you think it is a horrible experience today) would have been sheer misery.
For all the posters (farm workers specifically) who become offended at the "farmero" label, you should not. First off, Northern Farmers (NF) was a derisive term which originated in late-1970 at San Quentin. EME and NF had a prearranged "cease fire" at that time. A then future EME member by the name of Ramon "Mundo" Mendoza (aka: Machine Gun Mundo) from VNE in Boyle Heights (East L.A.) began referring to them by this term. This wasn't a secret thing as he actually addressed NF members to their faces on the upper yard. It was Mundo's hope that they would get angry enough to break the truce since he could not "fire the first shot" and get the EME upset.
The NF put up with Mundo's abuse and he later would be responsible for the killing of (5) NF members and (2) BGF members both in and out of prison before he defected.
Through the years, EME and its allies have succeeded in getting under the skin of Northern Cal gang members by referring to them as "country yokels", farmers, fruit pickers, etc. Now you know that this is not a literal insult but a continuation of the derisive and disrespectful behavior directed at what EME has always and will always consider an inferior breed of Chicanos. Although we all know this is not true, this is their attitude guys.
With no axe to grind, I hope this enlightens some who maybe needed to see some of this in some organized perspective.
Peace."

There you have. Lots to think about and consider. Many thanks to TJ JAILER. Keep 'em coming.