Nuestra Familia (Spanish language|Spanish for "Our Family") is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. While members of the Norteños gang are considered to be affiliated with Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteño. Some law enforcement agents speculate that the Norteños were possibly a spin-off of Nuestra Familia in an attempt to divert prison official attention from NF.