Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime: (Routledge International Handbooks)

The perception of the immigrant as criminal or deviant has a long history in the United States, with many groups (e.g., Irish, Italians, Latinos) having been associated with perceived increases in crime and other social problems, although data suggest this is not necessarily the case. This Handbook examines the relationship between immigration and crime by presenting chapters reflecting key issues from both historical and current perspectives. The volume includes a range of topics related to immigration and crime, such as the links between immigration rates and crime rates, nativity and crime, and the social construction of the criminal immigrant, as well as historical and current immigration policy vis-à-vis perceptions of the criminal immigrant. Other topics covered in this volume include theoretical perspectives on immigration and assimilation, sanctuary cities, and immigration in the context of the "war on terror." The Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime fills the gap in the literature by offering a volume that includes original empirical work as well as review essays that deliver a complete overview of immigration and crime relying on both historical and contemporary perspectives. It is a key collection for students in immigration courses; scholars and researchers in diverse disciplines including criminal justice, criminology, sociology, demography, law, psychology, and urban studies; and policy makers dealing with immigration and border security concerns.

Table of Contents:
Immigration and Crime: An Introduction to the Handbook PART I. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON IMMIGRATION AND CRIME 1. On the History of Immigration and Crime 2. Aliens Addicting Us: A Historical Perspective of Immigration and Drug Control Policy PART II. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON IMMIGRATION AND CRIME 3. The Classical Assimilation Model: A Controversial Canon 4. Segmented Assimilation and Crime: Rethinking the Relationship between Assimilation and Crime 5. Theoretical Perspectives on the Immigration-Crime Relationship PART III. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON IMMIGRATION AND CRIME 6. Immigration and Crime Rates: Lasting Trends and New Understandings 7. Immigration and Gangs 8. Immigrants as Victims 9. Immigrant Generation Differences in Crime and Violence: Disentangling Myth and Perception from Empirical Reality 10. Latino Immigration and Crime 11. Crime and Delinquency among Asian Immigrants in the United States 12. Afro-Caribbean Immigration and Crime 13. Eastern European Immigration and Crime PART IV. CURRENT ISSUES IN IMMIGRATION AND CRIME 14. Two Decades of Constructing Immigrants as Criminals 15. Immigration and Terrorism 16. Immigration within Contemporary Political Discourse 17. Policing & Punishing Illegality in the United States 18. Immigrants in the Federal Court System 19. With Mass Deportation Comes Mass Punishment: Punitive Capacity, Health, and Standards in US Immigrant Detention 20. Sanctuary Cities and Crime

About the Author :
Holly Ventura Miller received a PhD in sociology from the University of South Carolina and is an Associate Professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. She is also a National Institute of Justice W.E.B. DuBois Fellow, past President of the Southern Criminal Justice Association, and an Associate Editor of the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (C.J. Schreck, Editor). She is a member of UNF’s Research Council and a faculty affiliate of the Honors College where she teaches a course on immigration and crime. Anthony A. Peguero is an Associate Professor of sociology and criminology. Dr. Peguero is the Director of the Laboratory for the Study of Youth Inequality and Justice (YIJ) and research affiliate of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP) at Virginia Tech. He is also a National Institute Justice W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow; 2015 Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE) Fellow; 2014 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Tory J. Caeti Outstanding Young Scholar Award Winner; and 2013 American Society of Criminology Coramae Richey Mann Award Winner.

Review :
'This Handbook offers a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between immigration and crime, drawing from interdisciplinary and historical perspectives. The review essays and empirical studies fill a critical gap in the field, and I expect it will be the "go to" source for state of the art research on immigration and crime for years to come.' – Marjorie S. Zatz, University of California, Merced 'The Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime offers a comprehensive and clear perspective on immigration and crime. The Handbook brings together a stellar team of scholars who explain the deep-rooted history of nativism in the United States, the empirical reality surrounding immigrants and crime, as well as the criminalization of immigrants through detention and immigration law enforcement. These essays render it evident that nativism and the concomitant criminalization of immigrations is not new, that immigration is not associated with higher levels of crime, and that the current construction of immigrants as criminals is used to justify punitive legislation. This handbook is written in a clear and accessible style and will be useful for scholars, advocates, and policy-makers alike.' – Tanya Golash-Boza, University of California, Merced 'This handbook offers a timely and important examination of the relationship between immigration and crime. While public perceptions linking increased immigration and criminality persist, this terrific collection lays to rest these often repeated, yet unfounded, claims. Impressive for its breadth and depth, the Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime is a must-read for students, scholars, and policy makers alike.' – Roberto G. Gonzales, Harvard University