In considering whether subcultural values were associated with violence, it was critical to determine both the precise content of such values and the way in which the subculture interacts with structural forces to affect the level of violence. Based on interview and observational materials, this qualitative study examined the role of "machismo" and the incidence of gang violence in the Chicano "barrios" of East Los Angeles, under two structural circumstances--the more common state of disenfranchisement and the conditions of the late 1960s and early 1970s in which a strong locally based political movement existed. More than 25 open-ended interviews were conducted with Chicano males, aged 15-30, who lived in one of the East Los Angeles barrios and who currently participated or had participated extensively in gang activity. For all the Chicanos interviewed, "machismo" meant "having courage", "not backing down", or "being ready to fight". However, violence in itself was not directly a "macho" trait. Estrangement fostered a strong identity with the peer group in the barrio, because the peer group was the most readily available source of identity. This resulted in a strong sense of turf, which in turn greatly increased the potential for conflict and thus for violence. The change in group identity and in the incidence of violence occurred in the period from late 1967 to early 1972, when a strong locally based political movement succeeded in greatly reducing the level of estrangement. (NQ)