Immigration and Crime - (New Perspectives in Crime, Deviance, and Law) Annotated by Ramiro Martinez Jr & Abel Valenzuela Jr (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An essential collection that argues fears of immigrant crime are largely unfounded

The original essays in this much-needed collection broadly assess the contemporary patterns of crime as related to immigration, race, and ethnicity. Immigration and Crime covers both a variety of immigrant groups--mainly from Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America--and a variety of topics including: victimization, racial conflict, juvenile delinquency, exposure to violence, homicide, drugs, gangs, and border violence.

The volume provides important insights about past understandings of immigration and crime, many based on theories that have proven to be untrue or racially biased, as well as offering new scholarship on salient topics. Overall, the contributors argue that fears of immigrant crime are largely unfounded, as immigrants are themselves often more likely to be the victims of discrimination, stigmatization, and crime rather than the perpetrators.

Contributors: Avraham Astor, Carl L. Bankston III, Robert J. Bursik, Jr., Roberto G. Gonzales, Sang Hea Kil, Golnaz Komaie, Jennifer Lee, Matthew T. Lee, Ramiro Martínez, Jr., Cecilia Menjívar, Jeffrey D. Morenoff, Charlie V. Morgan, Amie L. Nielsen, Rubén G. Rumbaut, Rosaura Tafoya-Estrada, Abel Valenzuela, Jr., Min Zhou.

Review Quotes

"Essential."-- "Choice"

"Immigration and Crime is a terrific collection that debunks the stereotype of the Latino & criminal immigrant. The systematic and thorough quantitative and qualitative data in the book should provide pause and help shape a new policy agenda on immigration and crime."--Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, author of Racism Without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States

"Serves as a much needed wake up call to scholars, policy makers, and the general public."--Tim Wadsworth, University of Colorado, Boulder

"This volume shines a much needed light on the complexity of connections between crime, race, ethnicity, and immigration in the United States. Drawing on a distinguished group of experts on crime and immigration, Martinez and Valenzuela pull together a stimulating blend of perspectives and methods to address a topic that has been sadly neglected by researchers."--Gary LaFree, author of Losing Legitimacy: Street Crime and the Decline of Social Institutions in America

About the Author

Ramiro Martinez, Jr. (Editor)
Ramiro Martinez, Jr. is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Public Health at Florida International University and the author of Latino Homicide: Immigration, Violence and Community.

Abel Valenzuela, Jr. (Editor)
Abel Valenzuela, Jr. is Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Chicana/o studies and at the University of California, Los Angeles and is co-editor of Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angeles.