Reign of blood: the unending Mexican War and the creation of the criminal justice system in the Southwest -- Mob law: vigilantism as law enforcement in the nineteenth century -- Stars and shields: the world of Mexican American law enforcement officers -- Unknown Mex: Mexican and Mexican American criminality and the justice system -- Bandits everywhere: anti-Mexican violence, Mexican American resistance -- The pendulum of change: Mexican Americans and law enforcement in a time of transition.
Summary:
"Brian Behnken offers a sweeping examination of the interactions between Mexican-origin people and law enforcement-both legally codified police agencies and extralegal justice-across the U.S. Southwest (especially Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas) from the 1830s to the 1930s. The long history of the border region between the United States and Mexico has been one marked by periodic violence, but Behnken shows us in unsparing detail how Mexicans and Mexican Americans refused to stand idly by in the face of relentless assault"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.