Those street gangs have strong ethnic beginnings and are strongly divided upon racial lines. Though gang members' activities appear to be anti-social to the norm, they have a defined social order with rules and consequences within the organization. Most initiations and rule violations are dealt with through physical violence. The most severe violations may result in a member's death. In a neighborhood the first sign may be in the form of graffiti .
Gangs use graffiti as a way to mark territory, or serve as a warning or challenge to a rival gang.
Gang members use graffiti to glorify their gang with nicknames, symbols, or colors. The rival gang symbols will be drawn upside down or torn in half. Crowns are popular symbols in graffiti. Tragic consequences have occurred when gang members misinterpreted an uninvolved person's use of the manual alphabet - sign language. Latin Kings and Vice Lords, for example, usually wear black and gold or black and red, while the various Disciples gangs wear black and blue.