1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: I have this memory from my childhood. I'm at a 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: family party at an uncle's house in the Sangebriel Valley 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: where I grew up. I'm tall now, but in this memory, 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: the adults were still taller than me. Salsa, probably Joe 5 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: Royo or oscarre Leone, blasts through a bulgy speaker that 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: vibrated the entire living room. The adults were dancing, focusing 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: only on the music and the person in front of them. 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: Their moves felt unpredictable to me. They're swaying bodies and 9 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: pointy elbows formed a human obstacle course. I cut through 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: them to grab a cup of Inca cola and a 11 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: bowl of chips from a table in the kitchen. I 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: saw my mom sitting in one of the chairs lined 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: up against the wall, looking up at everyone. She's not dancing, 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: age Um, you know no. One of the reasons why 15 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: we had so many rules at home was because of 16 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: my mom. My mom grew up in a conservative evangelical 17 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: household in the seventies and Lima, Peru. My mom never 18 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: learned to dance as a teen. She said she didn't 19 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: go to parties when she was young. She never learned. 20 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: She says she go to parties kind of. They were 21 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: more like gatherings or hangouts. Friends would get together, eat 22 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: and laugh. There was no alcohol involved. At an early age, 23 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: she knew that her family was different. Her neighbors drank, 24 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: they danced, They threw loud parties. Sometimes the parties lasted 25 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: until five in the morning. My mom doesn't really remember this, 26 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: but as a kid at our family parties, she discouraged 27 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: me from dancing. Yeah, I don't know. When I asked 28 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: her about this, she said, but you didn't listen. You 29 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: love to dance now, and she's right, but it took 30 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: me a long time to get here. That memory of 31 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 1: my mom not dancing at a family party comes back 32 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: to me when I think about my own relationship to fun, 33 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: how I grew to love moving freely in my own body. 34 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: From my heart's Michael to a podcast network Vice and 35 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: Elias Studios. This is Party Cruise, the untold story. I'm 36 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: Jannis Amlca. I grew up in a place called Roland Heights. 37 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,559 Speaker 1: It's east of downtown and La County, in the Sangerbolle Valley. 38 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: That's gb When people stare at me completely clueless, I 39 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: just tell them the other Valley. I remember growing up 40 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: with Chinese kids, Korean kids, Mexican kids. More than half 41 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: of the population was born in a different country, and 42 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: a lot of the kids were like me, kids of immigrants. 43 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: In school, we spoke to each other in English, and 44 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: at home we spoke in a different language to our parents. 45 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: High school for me was defined by music videos. We 46 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: had a black box, basically a rigged up black market 47 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: cable box, which mean I had access to every channel, 48 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: including MTV jams. It was hip hop music video heaven 49 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: in the early two thousands. Video vixens were queens. Buillip 50 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: She was models like Melissa Ford and Vita Gara. They 51 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: were the director's muses and completely outshined the rappers. I 52 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: was mesmerized by their power. But the video that blew 53 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: me away. It was Beyonce's Crazy and Love Yes. When 54 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: the video was jam of the Week, which meant it 55 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: played every hour all week, I watched it carefully and 56 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: copied base every danceman I even try to look like her. 57 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: I bought the white tank top, the denim shorts, and 58 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: red siletto slingbacks, whatever I could find it to swap me. 59 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: It gave me a glimpse into what being a young 60 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: woman could look like. It was sexy, fun and fashionable, 61 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: a type of freedom I hadn't seen in person. Rebellious 62 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: even so different from the modestly dressed women I'd see 63 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: at church, and I knew off a bit of that 64 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: freedom could rub off on me. I could do anything. 65 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: High school was also the time that I started to 66 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: help my parents out. My parents both worked a lot. 67 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: They cleaned houses for a living, so when I got 68 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: my license, my mom made me drive their cleaning crew 69 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: around On the weekends. I chuttle a team from house 70 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: to house in a big white astro van. It was 71 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: the car Elent you drive in. But at night I'd 72 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: have the van all to myself, and I have a 73 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: lot of memories in that van. I remember driving my 74 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: mom's astro van and packing girls in it. Yea our 75 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: little party crew. Yes, so many memories in that van. Yeah, 76 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: I can't believe I drove my mom was like cleaning 77 00:07:55,280 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: astro van and drove with girls to parties. That's Sammy 78 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: Selina's She was one of my best friends in high school. 79 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: We've lost touch over the years, but when we catch 80 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: up it's like we haven't missed a beat. We met 81 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: at her home in Morono Valley and gathered around the 82 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: dining table. Her kids watched us, but they probably had 83 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: no clue what we were talking about. Like I remember 84 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: like girls a whole like there was no seats because 85 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: there was like cleaning supplies and then like all the 86 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: chemicals for cleaning, and I was just like going around 87 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: the car. It was fun. So what are we here 88 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: to talk about? Um? Back then, I'm him the two 89 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: thousand parties going now snicking out. When Sammy and I 90 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: first met, we instantly hit it off. I felt like 91 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: we were closed. I felt like with you we could 92 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: top hours on the phone. Sometimes I couldn't express my 93 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: feelings because I was hiding it for so long. But 94 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: with you, she's like we could talk about boys and 95 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: what are we gonna do? And you know live. We're 96 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: both outgoing, both with religious immigrant parents, and we both 97 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: definitely felt the pressures from it. I couldn't do a 98 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: lot of stuff, like you know, watch TV. If he 99 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: was really protective. My dad, he had me a little 100 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: bit older, so he didn't understand, you know, a little 101 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: bit of teenage girl. I guess while saying, you know what, 102 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: we go through. At that time, I was going through 103 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: a lot because my parents had divorce, So I think 104 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: doing stuff was something that was using to kind of 105 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:45,319 Speaker 1: like keep my mind out of it, you know. Together 106 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: we found an escape. On the weekends, Sammy and I 107 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: would think out of our homes and dance the night away. 108 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: Somehow we'd get back in our rooms before our families 109 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: woke up. I'd always be falling asleep the next day 110 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: at church. I guess you can say we were partners 111 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: in crime back then, like Thelma and Louise Oh with curfews. 112 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: I had friends catching me through my window to sneak out, 113 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: and I mean ten thirties. One of the parties. Third, 114 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: Sammy and I were part of an all girl party 115 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:24,959 Speaker 1: crew called the Lustful Ladies. Ladies spelled lay d easy. 116 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: I know it's a little embarrassing and the details are 117 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: kind of blurry, but the way I remember it, back 118 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: in our day, if you wanted to join a party crew, 119 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: you needed to know someone or get recruited. And once 120 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 1: I was in for Sammy, it was a no brainer. 121 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: It's just like naturally with you guys, just you guys 122 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: doing it, I'm doing it too. Then would you ever 123 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: your nickname. I think it was like I wasn't wasn't 124 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: this Caramel. If you were in a party crew, chances 125 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: are you had a nickname like miss Caramel, Giggles or Flacca. 126 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: Sammy pulled out an old picture of us that she 127 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: had on her phone and zoomed in into a big 128 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: laminated card she was holding that was clipped on a 129 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 1: lanyard that she was wearing around her neck. It was 130 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: a badge, like a name badge, and it had her 131 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: nickname on it. I remember making that badge on Photoshop, 132 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: which I downloaded a flme wire. Oh yeah, this is 133 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: Caramel Diva. Oh Caramel Diva. Yeah it's a little bit 134 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 1: oh shure, Oh yeah, Caramel Diva. My nickname was Mocha, 135 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: just a short version of my last name, Yamocha. I 136 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: guess you can say I was the Mocha to her Caramel. 137 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: Can you describe the what you're holding? It's like a 138 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: sign that tells you pretty much who you are. And 139 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: I think it's a girl dress like a I don't know, laundry. 140 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: The girls. She's talking about dress and lagerie. That's our 141 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: logo for the lustful ladies. And then your name under 142 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: me pretty much, just like that's your entry sign, Like 143 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: this is my crew and this is my girls in 144 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: the back kind of way, you know. Yeah, it's how 145 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: we wrapped our crew. You know, just a bunch of 146 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: teams at a backyard party with lanyards and badges hanging 147 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: around our necks, looking like tech bros at a networking conference. Okay, 148 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: The easiest way to explain a crew is a group 149 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: of friends who are dedicated to throwing and going to 150 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: house parties on a good night. The parties cramped over 151 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,719 Speaker 1: a hundred kids in a backyard. There were all girl 152 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: crews like ours, all guy crews, and co ed cruise 153 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: like Infamous Ladies three two three, Alcoholics and Huggies productions. 154 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: Some crews were about dancing. Some are really stylish, but 155 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: some are really competitive about throwing the best parties. And 156 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 1: in our world, the best parties had to have certain elements. 157 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: Imagine this. You get handed a flyer at school or 158 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: at the mall on a Friday. It's a glossy, baby 159 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: pink flyer. The all girl party crew, the Sweethearts is 160 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: throwing a party and you're invited. On the back, there's 161 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,719 Speaker 1: a couple of phone numbers to call for the directions 162 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: to a secret location. Once you and your friends make 163 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: it to the location, which is usually an empty house 164 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: or a warehouse, you pay a few bucks to get in. 165 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: Immediately you're surrounded by fog and lights, and you're tingling 166 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: from excitement because you hear the DJ play the first 167 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:44,839 Speaker 1: few notes of your current favorite song, Little John the 168 00:13:45,240 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: Side Boys didn't Yankee, You're a song that stand out 169 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: from that era. Yes, every party had the best music. 170 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 1: It's two thousand and four, so thaying early hip hop 171 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: music you can grind too. In the dark, fenced in 172 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: backyard was always just bodies and bodies just like you 173 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: don't think about anything. You just close your eyes and 174 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: just listen to the music and just dance away with 175 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: your friends. It's like, yeah, one of those feelings on 176 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: a concrete dance floor in the muddy backyard of someone's house. 177 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: We made the rules. Alcohol was provided for a fee, 178 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: and sometimes the cruise will get fancy and make jellowshots 179 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: or provide smernovices, and of course the party wasn't a 180 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: party without a nov tank in the corner, the big 181 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: old tank and balloons. It will sell those. I think 182 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: a dollar too, and then I don't remember how I 183 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: Gotama would just get them. No, it's nitrous oxide. It 184 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: gives you a quick head high when you inhale it. 185 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: I passed out a couple of times with that. But 186 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: it's hard to describe the feeling. But it was one 187 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: of those feelings that it felt good kind of way 188 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: at that time. But like my friend Sammy said, for us, 189 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: it was about showing up with our girls, the lustful ladies, 190 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: to let it all out on the dance floor. Yes, 191 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: lots of grinding and lasts of boody shakings twerking while 192 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: we were dancing. It was the first time I was 193 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: discovering how my body could move and see how others 194 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: reacted to me. It was the release I was yearning 195 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: for doing handstand twerking and I don't know freaking, I 196 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't appropriate dancing. I remember the handstands 197 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: and literally I was like you guys had to be 198 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: there too to believe it. But I have no idea 199 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: how we were so limbered strong. How do the parties 200 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: like make you feel when you were like dancing, how 201 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: are you feeling? It's just like you're free, free, is 202 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: how I would describe it too. Free from parents, free 203 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: from judgment, free from expectations, free to move your body, 204 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: free to express yourself any way you wanted. But sometimes 205 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: that freedom came at a price. House parties UNSIL would 206 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: usually be broken up by the cops or by gunfire, 207 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: which was crazy to think about it now. These underground 208 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: parties move from site to site, and how all too 209 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: often they attract drugs, alcohol and jiang violence. The moment 210 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: where I thought safe for the shooting, when we were 211 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: just like in the house and we just didn't know, 212 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: like what was going to happen next, and we're just 213 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: like waiting for the cops to cop for one day 214 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: to the next, you just whispers you know, some mutual 215 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: friends and be like, damn so and so, gosh, no 216 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: longer here. That's after the break. So many memories of 217 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: my party crew days are blurred, but I do have 218 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: this picture in my head of some thing that happened 219 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: One night I was sixteen and a huge group of 220 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: us were going to a party that our friend's crew 221 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 1: was throwing. It was the party of the night because 222 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 1: everyone I knew from the scene was going to be there. 223 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: I remember the street was lined with cars. We had 224 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: a park a few blocks down. There was a line 225 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: in the front and you could feel the base bumping 226 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: from the speakers as you walked closer. I remember the 227 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: rush of excitement, and I remember walking in and there 228 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: was a thing that crews would do. They would call 229 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: their names when they would walk in a party. I 230 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: remember leading my friends through the crowd, who formed a line, 231 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: each one of us holding each other's hands. I led 232 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: them straight to the dance the blush. I felt like 233 00:18:55,400 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: we danced all night. My legs were sore in my 234 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: hair was drenched and sweat from all the moving and 235 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: shaking I was doing, and from all the body heat 236 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: surrounding me. Then suddenly my friend threw his body on us, 237 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: and that's how I realized something happened. Shots had been fired. 238 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: We all dropped to the floor. I can't exactly remember 239 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: if the music stopped, but in my head, the whole 240 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: place went quiet. Everyone scattered, the party was over. None 241 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: of my friends got hurt that night, and to be honest, 242 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: we were young, and we felt invincible, like nothing could 243 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: touch us. That wasn't the only time I was at 244 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: a party where someone got shot. Shootings did happen in 245 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: an instance, a party she can turn into a war tonight, 246 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: A look at a few casualties for them. The party's 247 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: over shootingstead have left a half dozen partygoers dead or 248 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: wounded in the past three months, and police raided these 249 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: parties often. Law enforcement officials say they're coordinating on every 250 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: level to attack the problem. It was very high on 251 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 1: our priority list. People drank and did drugs and then 252 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: sometimes got behind the wheel or got into fights. Despite 253 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 1: the dangers, I felt like my friends and I were invincible. 254 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: But then in two dozen and six I got a call. 255 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: I was told whee our good friends Hector got shot 256 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: at a party. Hector was tall and thin, with jet 257 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: black hair and thick eyebrows. I always thought he looked 258 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: like Kevin from the Backstreet Boys. He worked with a 259 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: small group of disabled adults, taking care of them for 260 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 1: the day. I'd see them at the court having lunch together, 261 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: or browsing books at the bookstore that used to be 262 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: inside the mall. I remember him being really proud of 263 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: his job. He was part of a crew called Wicked Productions, 264 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: and he went by the nickname Hectic. He died a 265 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 1: few days later. He was twenty one, and when I 266 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: look back at my teenage years, I realized I made 267 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: it out in one piece, and in some ways I 268 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: feel relief, but mostly I feel guilt, guilt for surviving 269 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: the scene when others didn't, like Hector and Emory. That's 270 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: why Emory's case hit close to home. I also felt 271 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: shame because I put myself in danger and hid it 272 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: all from the people who wanted to protect me the most. 273 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 1: My parents had no idea I was going out at night. 274 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: That's why for so long I haven't thought about my 275 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: party crew days. I stored those painful memories away, like 276 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: handwritten notes from high school in a box under my 277 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: childhood bed. For me as a teen, the party crewscene 278 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: was fun and exciting, but at the same time it 279 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: was scary and learning about Emory all these years later 280 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: it brought back all those memories. Emory's family told me 281 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 1: that when she died, they not only had to deal 282 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: with her loss, but also a kind of judgment that 283 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 1: she was involved with a party crew. Sine upset because 284 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: it's not what we were expecting. This is her aunt 285 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: Becky again. And then I started getting calls from France 286 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: or just people are saying, well, I didn't know Emory 287 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,640 Speaker 1: attended those parties. I didn't know she was that kind 288 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: of person. So that made me very upset. So I 289 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: just told my husband when the phone rings, I said, 290 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: don't answer it or I'm not here. It irritates me. 291 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: Here's Crystal Emory's sister again, describing the news coverage. I 292 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: know under that video specifically, there's someone who commented, that's 293 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: what you get for going to those parties. And I 294 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: remember I commented the bag, and I was like, that's 295 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: my sister that you're talking about. You don't know who 296 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 1: she was, You don't know what's going on at the time. 297 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: Stay out of it. I mean, like I said, they 298 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: made it more about the parties than her actual murder 299 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: and disappearance. The thing is, Emory wasn't shot or found 300 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: dead at a party. She was found alone in an 301 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:51,640 Speaker 1: abandoned warehouse days after disappearing. So this raises another question. 302 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 1: Did Emory's death actually have anything to do with the 303 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: party crew scene? We don't even know really where the 304 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: crime scene is. We're calling the crime scene where the 305 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: body was found. I think we couldn't even verify that 306 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: she even went to a rape party that night. We 307 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: had conflicting information on that So did she go or 308 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 1: didn't she go? That's next time. This episode was written, reported, 309 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: and hosted by me Janeyamoka. Our show is produced and 310 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: reported by Sofia Pelissa car, Victoria Lejandro, and Kyle Chang 311 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: and edited by Antonio Shio. Additional editing by Any Abeless, 312 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: fact checking by Nidia Bautista, Sound design and original music 313 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:53,360 Speaker 1: composition by Kyle Murdoch. Our supervising producer is Janet Lee, 314 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: Art by Julie Ruiz and Victoria Koon. Our executive producer 315 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: from Vice Audio is Kate Osborne. Our executive producers from 316 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: Elias Studios are Anthonia Sedihivo and leog Our Vice President 317 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: of Podcasts from Elias Studios is Shana Naomi Crocmail Special 318 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 1: thanks to the UCLA Department of Communication Archive for access 319 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,679 Speaker 1: to their news collection Party Crews. The Untold Story is 320 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: a production of Elias Studios and Vice Audio in partnership 321 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: with Ihearts Michael Buddha podcast Network. From our podcasts, listen 322 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 323 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows, and Hey, were you and a 324 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: party crew? Send it your party flyers or photos. I'd 325 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: love to see them, even a voice message about your memories. 326 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: Anything you can send us a message or a picture 327 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: at party crews at Elias Studios dot com. Support for 328 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Donna Crawford, 329 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better 330 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 1: place to live. This program is made possible in part 331 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded 332 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: by the American people.