The criminalization of the Latino population had started early on in American history and to this day, criminalization of Latinos has not waned, but has grown exponentially. In order to describe and analyze social practices that induce criminalization, looking at historical situations, while comparing them to modern day situations and theory, one can see the exponential criminalization of Latinos, exhibited by a multitude of authors, researchers, and personal experiences. In order to correctly analyze the impacts, while at the same time drawing parallels to modern day criminalization of Latino youth, reviewing historical fact is very important. Starting off a very early form of criminalization; the Vagrancy Act of 1855, more commonly known
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There are two working theories that best describe why Latino youths are being heavily criminalized: the “Youth Control Complex” by Rios and the “Social Ambush” by Garcia in “"The Social Ambush and Criminalization of Racialized Youth". Rios argues that, “The youth control complex is a ubiquitous system of criminalization molded by the synchronized, systematic punishment mete out by socializing and social control institutions”. (Rios: 41: 2001) While as Garcia wrote that, “This social ambush is accomplished through collusion – intended or not- by a complex of inter-linked institutions, supportive and enabling laws and social policies that harshly impact racialized youth as well as adults, …” (Garcia: 15) The difference is that, Rios is stating that these social institutions are created in order to criminalize the youth, while as Garcia is stating that the institutions in place may or may not have been purposed to criminalize the youth. The impact on the youth is evident, for we know in modern day California, our prisons are filled to the brim and has ruined many young lives.The commonality between the two theories is that Garcia and Rios, both, in a sense, agree that the youth are not the ones who are …show more content…
In the past there were tragedies such as the Sleepy Lagoon incident or the Zoot Suit Riots, but the prisons were at least not filled to the brim with Latino youth. While as now, states such as California are overpopulated with the Hispanics in the prison, left wandering through the criminal justice system, left on the streets to do whatever they can to survive, whether they be male or female; the Latino youth are criminalized the moment they step on the streets. The modern Latino population is exponentially growing and, unfortunately, the Latino prison population is growing just as much, because unlike the past, there wasn’t a massive criminal justice system and a ton of programs that were setting up the Latino youth to fail, not to say that wasn’t any criminalization, but modern day criminalization is far worse and far more abusive of the Latino population. The criminalization of Latinos is evident throughout history, but over the past few decades, society has created, whether intentional or not, a system that outlaws and abandons the Latinos. In the past there were incidents that were blatantly against Latinos, whereas modern day situations are in favor of reducing crime and covertly induce criminalization of Latinos. Thus
There are two working theories that best describe why Latino youths are being heavily criminalized: the “Youth Control Complex” by Rios and the “Social Ambush” by Garcia in “"The Social Ambush and Criminalization of Racialized Youth". Rios argues that, “The youth control complex is a ubiquitous system of criminalization molded by the synchronized, systematic punishment mete out by socializing and social control institutions”. (Rios: 41: 2001) While as Garcia wrote that, “This social ambush is accomplished through collusion – intended or not- by a complex of inter-linked institutions, supportive and enabling laws and social policies that harshly impact racialized youth as well as adults, …” (Garcia: 15) The difference is that, Rios is stating that these social institutions are created in order to criminalize the youth, while as Garcia is stating that the institutions in place may or may not have been purposed to criminalize the youth. The impact on the youth is evident, for we know in modern day California, our prisons are filled to the brim and has ruined many young lives.The commonality between the two theories is that Garcia and Rios, both, in a sense, agree that the youth are not the ones who are …show more content…
In the past there were tragedies such as the Sleepy Lagoon incident or the Zoot Suit Riots, but the prisons were at least not filled to the brim with Latino youth. While as now, states such as California are overpopulated with the Hispanics in the prison, left wandering through the criminal justice system, left on the streets to do whatever they can to survive, whether they be male or female; the Latino youth are criminalized the moment they step on the streets. The modern Latino population is exponentially growing and, unfortunately, the Latino prison population is growing just as much, because unlike the past, there wasn’t a massive criminal justice system and a ton of programs that were setting up the Latino youth to fail, not to say that wasn’t any criminalization, but modern day criminalization is far worse and far more abusive of the Latino population. The criminalization of Latinos is evident throughout history, but over the past few decades, society has created, whether intentional or not, a system that outlaws and abandons the Latinos. In the past there were incidents that were blatantly against Latinos, whereas modern day situations are in favor of reducing crime and covertly induce criminalization of Latinos. Thus