Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000 [Hardcover]

Kevin J. Mullen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1403969787 | ISBN-13: 978-1403969781 | Edition: First Edition

Have newcomers to American cities been responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime? Dangerous Strangers takes up this question by examining the incidence of criminal violence among several waves of immigrant/ethnic groups in San Francisco over 150 years. By looking at a variety of groups--Irish, German, Italian, and Chinese immigrants, primarily--and their different experiences at varying times in the city's history, this study addresses the issue of how much violence can be attributed to new groups' treatment by the host society and how much can be traced to traits found in their community of origin. Dangerous Strangers fills an acknowledged gap in the literature of homicide studies and broadens our understanding of newcomer violence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kevin Mullen brings a unique, ex-cop's perspective to the historical study of crime. He not only restores the police to an important place in determining why homicide rates go up and down, but brings the painstaking thoroughness of the best detective work to his analysis of hard-to-interpret statistics from the past."--Roger Lane, Haverford College.

"Kevin Mullen uses his meticulous reconstruction of San Francisco homicides and his broad knowledge of the history of American violence to tackle two big questions: Why were some eras and communities more deadly than others? And what did the cultures of urban immigrants have to do with the fluctuating levels of violence? In Dangerous Strangers, Mullen delivers forceful and insightful answers to both questions."--David Courtwright, author of Violent Land

"Ex-cop Kevin J. Mullen investigates 150 years of lethal mayhem in San Francisco, and what he uncovers in the history of the city's successive newcomers--Australian, Latino, Irish, Asian, Italian, African American--will no doubt prove as controversial as it is illuminating. Rigorously grounded and thoughtfully nuanced, Dangerous Strangers elevates the issue of urban homicide rates among America's immigrant subcultures to a new level of discourse."--Robert R. Dykstra, SUNY Albany

About the Author

Kevin J. Mullen served for more than twenty-six years with the San Francisco Police Department and retired at the rank of deputy chief. He has written extensively in magazines and newspapers on criminal justice issues. He is the author of Let Justice Be Done: Crime and Politics in Early San Francisco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition edition (July 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403969787
• ISBN-13: 978-1403969781
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,959,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for academics, teachers, and for fun, October 10, 2005

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Social Scientist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000 (Hardcover)

Kevin Mullen's "Dangerous Strangers" is a wonderful contribution to the field of criminology and violence studies. The book offers academics a new set of data and interpretations concerning the role that ethnicity plays on patterns of interpersonal violence. The author contrasts "structural" explanations with "cultural" explanations in an attempt to evaluate the relative importance of such social forces. Although many criminologists favor structural views and are wary to consider the role of culture (especially concerning ethnicity), Mullen provides strong support for the cultural thesis. For readers less familiar with this academic debate, first recognize that most homicides involve interpersonal disputes over money, romantic relationships, or other squabbles. Structural theorists think that non-cultural forces such as discrimination, unemployment and poverty lead to more frustration among individuals, and this in turn leads to violent forms of dispute resolution. Cultural theorists agree with this, but highlight that different populations have different cultural rules and values about how disputes should be resolved. In some societies, individuals can actually be punished by their peers for not acting aggressively to react to insults or to resolve disputes. Mullen does an excellent job illustrating that a variety of groups such as the Chinese, Italians, Irish, and Mexicans all were somewhat different in their preferences to deal with disputes. For example, the Chinese immigrants brought with them Tong organizations that eventually became involved in the vice industry. These organizations also had a strong sense of group loyalty and honor that resulted in many "tit for tat" killings to save face after one's organization had been slighted. Overall, Mullen is correct not to dichotomize the debate between culture and society, but to understand the complex interactions between these forces. In reality, BOTH social structure and culture are important!

Although of interest to academics, this book is also a great read for non-academic readers. The book is jargon free, and is easy to understand. Many of the anecdotes read like a fun crime novel! Being a university teacher, I also think this book would be great to still up conversation and debate in university classes concerning criminology, violence, and immigration. I sincerely hope the book is soon offered in a paperback so as to make the book more affordable to students! In sum, this is a great book for a variety of audiences!!!