Introduction

This introduction places the topic of gringo injustice within a historical context and traces the emergence of the image of Mexicans as ruthless bandits from the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, including the Chicano Social Bandits in the nineteenth century, such as Tiburcio Vasquez,, to the 1940s pachucos, and contemporary cholos and gang members. It presents an overview and introduction to the chapters, which cover a broad range of topics surrounding Latinos and the legal and judicial system, or what has previously been described as “Gringo justice.”