Gringo Injustice; Insider Perspectives on Police, Gangs, and Law; First Edition

The recent mass shooting of 22 innocent people in El Paso by a lone White gunman looking to "Kill Mexicans" is not new. It is part of a long, bloody history of anti-Latina/o violence in the United States. __Gringo Injustice__ brings this history to life, shedding critical light on the complex relationship between Latinas/os and the United States’ legal and judicial system. Contributors with first-hand knowledge and experience, including former law enforcement officers, ex-gang members, attorneys, and community activists, share insider perspectives on the issues facing Latinas/os and initiate a critical dialogue on this neglected topic. Essays examine the unauthorized use of deadly force by police and patterned incidents of lynching, hate crimes, gang violence, and racial profiling. The book also highlights the hyper-criminalization of barrio youth and considers wide-ranging implications from the disproportionate imprisonment of Latinas/os. __Gringo Injustice__ provides a comprehensive and powerful look into the Latina/o community’s fraught history with law enforcement and the American judicial system. It is an essential reference for students and scholars interested in intersections between crime and communities of Color, and for use in Sociology, Latino Studies, Ethnic Studies, Chicano Studies, Criminology, and Criminal Justice. Cover 1 Half Title 4 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of Contents 10 List of figures 12 List of contributors 13 Preface 16 Introduction 22 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848 22 Gringo Injustice 25 Gringos and Greasers 27 Police Killings of Latinos 36 The Structure of the Book 38 Notes 41 References 41 Public Document 43 Cases Cited 43 PART I: State-Sanctioned Violence 44 1. A History of Anti-Latino State-Sanctioned Violence: Executions, Lynchings, and Hate Crimes 46 Introduction 46 Latino Lynching: A Brief History 47 Contemporary Backlash Against Immigrants in the Public Sphere 50 Hate Crimes and State Violence against Latinos 54 Lynching by Another Name 57 Conclusion 59 Notes 60 References 60 Cases Cited 64 2. Officer-Involved Shootings of Latinos: Moving Beyond the Black/White Binary 65 The Existing Data 67 Early Patterns from New Data 72 Conclusion 77 Policy Suggestions 79 Notes 80 References 80 3. Interest-Convergence Theory and Police Use of Deadly Force on Latinos: A Case Study of Three Shootings 84 Methods 86 Interest-Convergence Theory: An Overview 88 “Los Tres Disparos”: Three Police Shootings 89 The Move Forward Project: A Pilot Program in Community-Police Engagement 91 Holistic Policing 96 Conclusion 97 Notes 98 References 99 Cases Cited 100 4. Killing Ismael Mena: “The SWAT Teams Feared for Their Lives...” 101 Introduction 101 SWAT Anatomy of a Murder 102 The Informant and the Police Cover-Up 103 Public Outrage over “No-Knock” Search Warrants 104 The Justice for Mena Committee (“JMC”) 108 “Settled but Not Solved”: Aftermath of the Shooting 111 Postscript: Police Policing Themselves 114 Notes 118 References 121 PART II: The Youth Control Complex 124 5. The Street Terrorism and Enforcement Act: A New Chapter on the War on Gangs 126 The War on Gangs in the 1940s: Sleepy Lagoon and the Zoot-Suit Riots 127 Penal Code §186.22: Legislative History, Overview, and Implications 132 Attempted Murder Charges Against the 4th Street Boys 136 Reflections 143 Notes 145 References 146 Cases Cited 146 Statutes Cited 147 6. Latino Street Gangs, La EME, and the Short Corridor Collective 148 Introduction 148 Gang “Banging” History 150 The Zoot-Suit Charade 151 La Eme Infusion 153 Neighborly Protection 154 The “Buzz” Experience 156 Sureños 157 The “Corridor-4” Conundrum 160 The Twenty-first-Century Morphing of Street Gangs 164 Kings of the Asphalt Jungle 166 The Anti-Discrimination Principle and the Short Corridor Collective 169 Notes 171 References 172 Cases Cited 174 7. “Captives while Free”: Surveillance of Chicana/o Youth in a San Diego Barrio 175 Pachucas, Pachucos, and el Zoot-Suit 177 The Panopticon in the Barrio 178 Panopticism and Its Effects 179 I Am Still Here, I Am Still Alive”: Jewelz’s Story 180 “The Homegirl Lets Me Push the Stroller”: Rana’s Story 183 “I Am Being Watched”: Pelón’s Story 186 Barrio Pico and the Panoptic Effect 188 Conclusion 189 Notes 190 References 190 8. Hyper-Criminalization: Gang-Affiliated Chicana Teen Mothers Navigating Third Spaces 192 Introduction 192 Chicana Feminism: (Third Space) Where the Public and Private Meet 195 “A Homegirl’s Nightmare”: Estefania 198 “You’re Not Gonna Make It”: Monica 201 “Invading My Space” 204 Conclusion 207 Notes 209 References 209 PART III: Race, Citizenship, and the Law 212 9. “A Class Apart”: The Exclusion of Latinas/os from Grand and Petit Juries 214 Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 (1954) 214 “Personhood” and Equal Protection in Historical Perspective 215 Jury Exclusion and the Fourteenth Amendment 218 Is Use of Peremptories to Exclude Bilingual Jurors Prohibited Under the Fourteenth Amendment? 223 Bilingual Classifications Should be Subjected to Strict Scrutiny Because Bilingualism is a Fixed, Relatively Immutable Characteristic 227 Exclusion from Grand Juries: The East LA Thirteen and Common-Sense Racism 228 Conclusion 232 Notes 234 References 235 Cases Cited 235 10. Whiteness, Mexican Appearance and the Fourth Amendment 237 Whiteness as Property 238 Fourth Amendment: Origins and Historical Overview 240 Does the Exclusionary Rule Apply in Civil Deportation Hearings? 244 Are INS Factory Raids Seizures? 247 Are Mexican Nationals Protected by the Fourth Amendment? 248 Are Fixed Checkpoints and Secondary Inspections Constitutional? 250 Roving Patrols and Racial Profiling of Mexicans 252 Conclusion 255 Note 256 References 256 Cases Cited 256 Index 258 Despite The Increase In Public Concern With Crime And Police Violence In Minority Communities, Racial Profiling, Victimization Of People Of Color And A Powerful Black Lives Matter Movement Started In Direct Response To Incidents Of Excessive Police Force, The Victimization Of Latinos Has Been Relatively Ignored. Written By Insiders With First-hand Knowledge And Experience, Gringo Injustice Explores The Complex Relationship Between Latinos In The United States And The Legal And Judicial System In The 21stcentury. Authors From A Range Of Different Backgrounds Before Becoming Academics, Including Former Law Enforcement Officers, Ex-gang Members And Gang-affiliated Youth, Practicing Attorneys And Community Activists, Share Their Unique Perspectives On The Issues Facing Latinos And Initiate A Critical Dialogue On An Important And Neglected Topic. Essays Examine The Unauthorized Use Of Deadly Force By Police Officers And Incidents Of Racial Profiling, Particularly Among Those Of Mexican Origin. The Book Also Highlights The Hyper-criminalization Of Barrio Youth And The Disproportionate Imprisonment Of Latinos. Broadly, The Authors Address Why There Is So Little Public Concern Related To These Issues And Provide Timely Policy Recommendations And Alternative Solutions To These Persistent Problems. Ial Profiling, Particularly Among Those Of Mexican Origin. The Book Also Highlights The Hyper-criminalization Of Barrio Youth And The Disproportionate Imprisonment Of Latinos. Broadly, The Authors Address Why There Is So Little Public Concern Related To These Issues And Provide Timely Policy Recommendations And Alternative Solutions To These Persistent Problems. "The recent mass shooting of 22 innocent people in El Paso by a lone White gunman looking to "kill Mexicans" is not new. It is part of a long, bloody history of anti-Latina/o violence in the United States. Gringo Injustice brings this history to life, shedding critical light on the complex relationship between Latinas/os and the United States' legal and judicial system. Contributors with first-hand knowledge and experience, including former law enforcement officers, ex-gang members, attorneys, and community activists, share insider perspectives on the issues facing Latinas/os and initiate a critical dialogue on this neglected topic. Essays examine the unauthorized use of deadly force by police and patterned incidents of lynching, hate crimes, gang violence, and racial profiling. The book also highlights the hyper-criminalization of barrio youth and considers wide-ranging implications from the disproportionate imprisonment of Latinas/os. Gringo Injustice provides a comprehensive and powerful look into the Latina/o community's fraught history with law enforcement and the American judicial system. It is an essential reference for students and scholars interested in intersections between crime and communities of Color." -- page iii Written by insiders with direct and personal knowledge and experience, Gringo Injustice offers a unique, detailed look at the recent and unfolding relationship between Latinos in the U.S. and the legal and judicial systems. The authors critically examine why there is so little public concern and provide timely policy recommendations.