Many street gang members come from economically depressed areas of the community, are often from broken homes with no father figure, have substandard school performance, and are young males. The typical street gang structure consists of the hardcore members of the gang, the affiliates, and the support groups or cliques (often composed of members' girlfriends). Youth join street gangs for reasons related to identity or recognition, family involvement in gangs, fellowship, protection, or intimidation. Youth gangs in California are usually organized along ethnic lines and include white, black, Hispanic, and Asian groups.