Generacion Suicida. View more photos on Flickr | Generacion Suicida

The name “Genraction Suicida” – “suicide generation” – could be seen as a way for Kiwi Martinez and Tony Abarca to thumb their noses at the people who said they would never become successful. Martinez, the drummer, and Abarca, the guitarist and vocalist, both dealt with their share of struggles and discouragement growing up in South L.A.

Martinez came to the United States from Guatemala when she was 12 months old and ended up attending John C. Fremont High School in South L.A. There, she was failing classes and felt like teachers didn’t care about their students’ education or future.

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