Routledge Handbook on Immigration and Crime - Paperback

by Holly Ventura Miller (Editor), Anthony Peguero (Editor)

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.

Author Biography

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.