Latino Criminology: Unfucking Colonial Frameworks in “Latinos and Crime” Scholarship

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from León's article on Latino criminology and its critique of colonial inheritances in CCJ.

What is the central aim of Latino criminology as described by León?

To unfuck criminology by auditing colonial inheritances, centering the margins, and linking critical criminology with Latino Studies to address interpersonal harms, racialized social control, and state violence.

What does 'unfuck' mean in the context of this article?

To correct a situation (or yourself) in a timely manner by identifying and addressing colonial features in criminology.

Which two scholarly traditions form the basis of Latino criminology in León’s article?

Critical criminology and Latino Studies.

What is coloniality and why is it important in this work?

The enduring colonial logics embedded in knowledge production and social institutions; it helps diagnose how colonial power shapes CCJ.

How does León describe neocolonial justice systems?

A racialized capitalist system of social control within the US criminal justice apparatus, marked by over-incarceration and state violence and tied to internal colonialism.

What is 'internal colonialism' as defined in the text?

A structure of domination and exploitation among diverse cultural groups within a single state, manifested in racialized social control.

Pillar 1: What is the focus of 'Accuracy and Integrity of Race and Ethnicity Data'?

Ensuring robust, nuanced Latino race/ethnicity data; moving beyond simplistic Black/White binaries; improving measurement and data integrity.

Pillar 2: What question does it pose about CCJ theories?

Whether orthodox CCJ theories are relevant for understanding Latinos, and whether they need revision for race- and ethnicity-specific contexts.

Pillar 3: What is the emphasis of 'Mentorship and Leadership'?

Fostering collaborative leadership, expanding LatCrim, and mentoring scholars across career stages to bridge orthodox and radical strands.

Pillar 4: What does 'Migration, Mobility, and Transnationalisms' advocate?

Engaging with migration and borders, integrating transnational perspectives and violence in the analysis of Latino experiences.

Pillar 5: What does 'Centering State Crime' call for?

A focus on state and state-corporate crime across diasporas, linking domestic and international forms of government violence.

Pillar 6: What is the aim of confronting anti-Blackness?

To avoid the anti-Black bias in 'Black and Brown' discourse and center anti-Black racism as foundational to how law and punishment operate.

Pillar 7: What issues are raised about class in the CJ classroom?

Addressing the experiences of working-class Black and Latino students, representation, and how politics and policy shape teaching and student outcomes.

What is LatCrim?

The Latina/o/x Criminology network—a collaborative professional community for Latinos in CCJ that supports research and mentorship.

How does León view 'Global South' perspectives in criminology?

As insights from scholars of the place studied, informing CCJ beyond US-centric views and challenging imported Western paradigms.

What is León's stance on the term 'Latino' vs 'Latinx'?

He uses 'Latino' as the base term, treats 'Latinx' as an intellectual provocation, and cautions against over-reliance on gender-inclusive labels that may obscure anti-Black and colonial realities.

What is 'testimonio' and how is it relevant here?

A biographical truth-telling method from Black feminist traditions; used to foreground marginalized voices and align with narrative criminology.

What is the 'racial invariance thesis' and why is it questioned?

The idea that race does not matter for crime theories; León argues we should test orthodox theories on Latino identity to see if invariance holds; it may not.