30 years ago I spent a long hot summer documenting an East LA gang called the Hoyo Maravilla – hanging in the dusty park with the gang members and their friends I remember the constant sound of LAPD surveillance helicopters overhead. This past summer I contacted the three girls I had photographed  leaning against a car at the park (below) and asked if I could meet them to see where their lives had taken them. We met in Boyle Heights at their sister Arlene’s house and they took me to the Home Girl Café for lunch.

The three women had amazing tales to tell of their lives.They had lost husbands to gang violence, had sons serving time or in a gang . But these three amazing women had survived and thrived, they were mothers, career women and still the best of friends. They told me that most of the Hoyo Maravilla guys that I had photographed back in the day were either in jail or had passed away.We sat in the cafe and told stories. They tried to date the exact year I had met them: “Was the car we  were standing in front of gold or blue?” they asked, because one of their friends had been shot in the car and it had to be repainted after that because of the blood stains – this was how we would date the photos.

Now the Hoyo Maravilla park has been renovated – kids play on the grass – families picnic in the sun. Norma, Victoria and Vivian (formerly ‘The Riviera Bad Girls’) work for Human Resources, the Home Girl Café (a non profit organization to help gang members to reform their lives) and the District Attorney. Much respect to you ladies.

My book of photographs of El Hoyo Maravilla was published by Dashwood. http://janettebeckman.com/#num=content-661&id=album-15