Book Review: Jacked up and unjust: Pacific Islander teens confront violent legacies

• DOI: 10.1177/1057567717717315
• Date: 01 September 2017
• Author: Marika Dawkins
• Published date: 01 September 2017
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Overall, the textbook provides a basic, but thorough, overview of the gang phenomenon in the

United States. The book appears intended to target a student audience, although government offi-

cials, criminal justice professionals, health-care and social workers, educators, policy makers, and

researchers would benefit from closer examination of the content of this book. From an academic

perspective, there are few universities that provide courses exclusively on street gangs, but this book

would surely be a benefit as a supplementary text examining issues related to policing, organized

crime, sociology, criminology, and other special topics in criminal justice. The relative low cost of

the book should also not inhibit college professors from requiring or recommending the text as a

resource for secondary reading or for in-depth research into adolescent and early adult challenges

and criminal behavior.

In conclusion, the author has prepared an informative and highly enlightening book that outlines

the many issues related to street gang involvement in the United States and abroad. The information

and data are contemporary and have been thoroughly researched, often directly by the author

himself. The practice of incorporating sociological and criminological theories into the topics raised

throughout the book provides additional benefit to the reader. As such, the author should be

commended for his efforts.

Irwin, K., & Umemoto, K. (2016).

Jacked up and unjust: Pacific Islander teens confront violent legacies.

Oakland: University of California Press. XI, 217 pp. $24.75, ISBN 978-0-520-28303-9.

Reviewed by: Marika Dawkins, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA

DOI: 10.1177/1057567717717315

Jacked Up and Unjust is a detailed ethnography of Pacific Islander teens. The results are based on a

study of teens from two high schools from two d ifferent neighborhoods. One neighbo rhood is

described as low income, ethnically diverse, high density, and a gateway for new immigrants, while

the other is referred to as working-class, rural and comprises mostly of Native Hawaiians. Various

empirical and theoretical perspectives on youth violence in the criminological literature are used as a

framework for youth and youth violence. Several sources, including juvenile justice workers, secu-

rity guards, students, counselors, community-based leaders, school administrators, and teachers,

inform the book. It is a useful book for juvenile justice practitioners, criminologists, and other

persons interested in youth violence; however, it could also be used as a supplemental reading by

academics for a minorities’ course and/or a special topics course that explores theories of juvenile

behavior. The book is organized into nine chapters that discuss the experiences of teens and includes

two appendices and notes. The chapters are (1) literature review and background, (2) the caring adult

role and youth research, (3) “us girls get the second half”: girls’ early socialization and outspoken

femininity, (4) fighting for her honor: high school girls’ struggle for respect, (5) boys’ fights and the

jacked-up system, (6) sea of good intentions: juvenile protection in the shadow of punishment, (7)

youth prepare for adulthood, (8) theoretical conclusions, and (9) compassionate and constructive

policy and practice. In these chapters, Irwin and Umemoto focus on Pacific Islander teens, who are

often ignored, and help the reader put into perspective how historic injustices and racial inequalities

may contribute to youth violence. Using a theory of colonial patriarchy, the authors aim to address

gaps in the literature on youth violence.

The book opens with a brief introduction to the experiences and challenges of two teens who are

regarded as skilled fighters among their peers. While both boys and girls engage in fights, boys are

more likely to develop a positive reputation than girls. In subsequent sections of the book, it becomes

228 International Criminal Justice Review 27(3)