One of Their Own: Special Feature – From The Finest: A Graffiti Crew, a Police Sting, and a Homecoming

Podcast: One of Their Own
Host: KPBS
Aired: December 17, 2025

Overview:

This special episode spotlights an installment of The Finest, KPBS’s arts and culture podcast, which tells the vibrant, bittersweet story of June, Ron, and Ramali—three second-generation Filipino Americans who grew up in Paradise Hills, southeast San Diego in the 1990s. Amid escalating neighborhood violence, these childhood friends forged a path away from gangs, channeling their creativity into graffiti art. Their sanctioned mural on Division Street became a symbol of hope and unity but also drew the attention of police, culminating in a controversial sting operation. Decades later, the crew reconciles with their past, returning to create a new mural that honors their heritage and community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Finding Identity in a Fractured Neighborhood

• Growing up in Paradise Hills, a rapidly diversifying working-class community shaped by immigration and the Navy, the friends felt constant pressure to join one of the local gangs.
  • June: “There was, like, this constant pressure of, like, which gang are you going to join?” (03:36)
  • Ramali: “You were either excelled at academics or you excelled at sports. And then the other option was, you join a gang.” (03:40)
• Graffiti and hip hop provided a creative alternative for kids seeking belonging and identity.
  • Ramali: "Just seeing something that's on a wall, like, out on the street, just all the colors, saw the characters on there. I think that gave it that, like, oh, yeah." (04:09)

2. Art as Positive Resistance and Expression

• The friends organized a graffiti crew with the aim of uniting the neighborhood through murals, not gang rivalry.
  • June: “They kind of looked at us like, oh, these guys are the artists. You know, we pretty much carved our own lane, if you think about it.” (04:22)
• They secured permission from the property owner and an older artist to paint a local wall, carrying out their project with a handwritten contract.
  • June: "We use the typewriter." (05:13)

3. Cultural and Family Roots

• Their bond—and their community—was deeply shaped by their parents’ journey from the Philippines to San Diego via the US Navy.
  • Ron: “Our parents are immigrants from the Philippines, and they're actually all from the same town.” (10:17)
• The friends recall massive Filipino family parties, supportive upbringings, and parents who, despite hardships, advocated for education and gave their kids the freedom to pursue art.
  • June: “I think the Navy created a stable enough life to where their kids had the, you know, they didn't have to worry about their next meal, so they had the opportunity to be creative or to be expressive...” (13:10)

4. Paradise Hills under Pressure: Crime, Segregation, Policing

• The neighborhood’s history as a redlined, marginalized area led to poverty and underfunded schools, creating conditions for 1990s gang violence and aggressive policing.
  • Narrator: "Redlining...its ongoing impacts are severe. Like poverty and inadequate funding for schools and services that built up pressure came to a head during the so called crack epidemic..." (14:21)

5. The Heights and Purpose of Graffiti

• Graffiti in the crew’s context was about inclusion, expression, and community—not defacement.
  • Ron: “It was a rush because you put something up knowing that everyone's gonna see it. You don't know how they're gonna respond to it." (17:06)
  • Ramali: “Even if it isn’t, like, gonna be permanent...someone seeing that and it leaving a stain on their brain is just as permanent..." (17:26)
• Their mural style was innovative for the time, with pieces like “Lies and Cries” remembered for their technical and emotional depth.
  • Ron: “It was like hearing one of your favorite jazz musicians do something new with his instrument.” (18:55)

6. The Police Sting: Art Versus Crime

• In the climate of national “wars” on drugs and gangs, graffiti became criminalized; police conflated the crew’s art with gang activity.
  • Narrator: “The gang injunctions specifically mention graffiti as a signature gang activity. ...it didn't seem to matter that Ron, June and Ramali's crew was not a gang at all, but an alternative to that life.” (22:07)
• The crew fell victim to a police sting faking a documentary about graffiti. Arrests followed, despite their permitted mural.
  • June: “Felt like the whole Icarus story...Was a trap. Like in Star Wars, it was a trap.” (20:48)
  • June: “I open it up and it's the police. And I'm like, oh...take everything...then they turn around, they're like, oh, yeah, we also got a warrant for your arrest.” (06:30)

7. Loss and Reflection

• The sting coincided with the accidental death of a fellow crew member, TJ—a turning point that made them reassess their path.
  • Ron: “When a friend, TJ, passed away, it was like a wake up call...” (24:13)
  • June: "And they paused it right on TJ...I just remember...putting my head down, just thinking, man...that's cold, man." (25:34)

8. Sting Fallout and Critique of the System

• 37 graffiti-involved teens were arrested, the media and public officials eager to equate street art with criminality.
  • News excerpt: “Susan Golding, the mayor, called graffiti low class...the district attorney said, Tagging is a serious crime, not a harmless prank. Taggers do this to get attention. Now, law enforcement...have given taggers the kind of attention they deserve.” (28:08)
• Ron: “They're right in the sense that the kids...do need attention...Had somebody reached out to us and be like, hey, look, you guys have some talent, some skill...there's more positive ways, but we didn't have that type of mentorship." (29:13)
• Ramali: “Graffiti...was born through poverty, you know...it's allowing an adolescent or a teenager...to let people know that, hey, I'm here, I'm alive, you know, I exist.” (30:03)

9. Moving Forward – Redemption and Giving Back

• The sting changed the trajectory for each: June stopped art and became a teacher; Ron struggled, then joined the Navy; Ramali was mentored by a teacher, leading him to art school.
  • Ramali: “I was gonna join the Navy because that's what my dad did. ...[my teacher] told me, like, you have something with, like, characters...you should do something with it...” (31:04)
• Decades later, these reputations morphed as they were invited back to create a new mural for the community—this time, explicitly to inspire and unite.

10. The New Mural: Isang Bagsak and Community History

• The piece is a vibrant depiction of unity:
  • Right side: Protesters with Filipino, Mexican, American flags—commemorating the Delano grape protests and United Farm Workers.
  • Center: “Isang Bagsak” (“One Down”)—a Tagalog rallying cry for solidarity.
    • Ron: “It literally translates to one down, meaning if one person's down, everybody's down." (34:52)
  • Left: Traditional Filipino vegetables—a nod to ancestral farming roots.
    • June: “...with our parents growing a lot of these vegetables in our backyards, it also shows that...you get the fruits of your labor.” (35:58)
  • The old crew name—JVC—has become “Just Vigilant Citizens,” a playful and poignant rebranding.

11. A Lasting Message: The Transformative Power of Art

• The crew reflects on their journey from "juvenile vandals" to “vigilant citizens,” emphasizing that art, even when born in rebellion, can become a tool for hope, identity, and community healing.
  • Ramali: “...there's times when you do got to get up and...go against the grain...to prove a point, you know, and to make a statement.” (38:37)
  • Ron: “Now when I drive by it again, it brings joy to me...we can show the younger generation...what they could do with graffiti and, like, you know, what they can do with their art.” (37:14)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the pressure to join gangs:
  • “If I join the red team, then that means I'm gonna have to kinda put down, like, the homies on the blue team, which is not cool.” – June (03:49)
• On the crew’s artistic identity:
  • “We pretty much carved our own lane, if you think about it.” – June (04:22)
• On the sting operation:
  • “Like in Star Wars, it was a trap.” – June (20:48)
  • “They paused it right on TJ...I just remember...putting my head down...that's cold, man.” – June (25:34)
• On the power—and pitfalls—of graffiti:
  • “Even if it isn’t…gonna be permanent…someone seeing that and it leaving a stain on their brain is just as permanent…” – Ramali (17:26)
  • “Had somebody reached out to us and be like, hey, look, you guys have some talent, some skill…there's more positive ways, but we didn't have that type of mentorship.” – Ron (29:13)
• On community and history:
  • “Isang bagstock. It literally translates to one down, meaning if one person's down, everybody's down.” – Ron (34:52)
  • “From juvenile vandal crew to just vigilant citizens. These former targets of a police sting operation turned out all right.” – Narrator (37:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:01 – Introduction of Paradise Hills, pressures of youth in the 1990s
• 04:09 – Graffiti and hip hop as a means of resistance and expression
• 10:07 – The family and immigrant background shaped by the US Navy
• 14:21 – Redlining, crack epidemic, and increased policing
• 17:06 – The artistic rush and emotional purpose behind graffiti
• 20:48 – The fake documentary and police sting setup
• 24:13 – The death of a crew member and its aftermath
• 28:08 – Fallout from the sting and public/media reaction
• 31:04 – The role of mentors and the transition to new careers
• 32:28 – The crew returns to Division Street for a new mural
• 33:51 – The mural's symbolism and message of unity
• 37:14 – Reflection on generational change and the power of art
• 38:37 – Closing thoughts on legacy, voice, and rebellion

Final Thoughts

This episode explores the nuances of growing up in a marginalized community, the struggle for identity, and how creative expression—sometimes criminalized—can become both resistance and redemption. Through raw memories, laughter, and reflection, June, Ron, and Ramali offer a poignant meditation on the power of art to build bridges, heal wounds, and inspire new generations.