Borders of Violence and Justice

“[The book] paints a detailed picture of a history still alive in southwestern society, not only in terms of its legacy but also through its continuous renewal. The foundations of the Southwest are tainted with blood that Brian D. Behnken painstakingly makes visible, recognizing and substantiating the generational trauma experienced by Mexican Americans to this day.”—H-Migration

“Compellingly argue[d]. . . . Challenging popular myths that vigilantism emerged in the absence of functioning legal institutions, Behnken demonstrates that extralegal violence in fact operated with and through law enforcement across the decades of his study.”—The Western Historical Quarterly

“As our nation continues to witness increased police violence, it is imperative that we turn to sound scholarship to understand its long history in order to find ways to combat it. Behnken examines historical patterns of violence that too often involved the false idea of a lawless frontier to justify the elimination of so-called bandits, almost always of Mexican origin. Borders of Violence and Justice reminds us of this painful past as well as the various ways in which communities sought to address both nonstate- and state-endorsed violence. This historical synthesis will be of great value to the general public and policy makers alike—it has the potential to effect real change, if only those lessons from the past are taken seriously.”—Sonia Hernández, Texas A&M University

"Brian Behnken gives us a rare look into the convoluted history between ethnic Mexicans and the U.S. criminal justice system. Behnken writes of power, colonization, and control, which invites the reader to recognize the origins of systemic racism and inequality aimed at Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and other minoritized groups. This study fills a major gap in both Mexican American historiography and public knowledge of how ethnic Mexicans engaged in a tug-of-war with our criminal justice system."—Miguel A. Levario, author of Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy

"Borders of Violence and Justice is a consequential contribution to the scholarship on racist violence, police brutality, and Mexican American history. This book should provide a model for researchers into America's long history of racially motivated violence."—Brent M. S. Campney, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley