Sito

An American Teenager and the City that Failed Him

De: Laurence Ralph

Narrado por: Andre Santana

A "profound", heart-wrenching story of violence, grief, and the American justice system, explored through the story of one teenager (Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted).

In September of 2019, Luis Alberto Quiñonez—known as Sito— was shot to death as he sat in his car in the Mission District of San Francisco. He was nineteen. His killer, Julius Williams, was seventeen. It was the second time the teens had encountered one another. The first, five years before, also ended in tragedy, when Julius watched as his brother was stabbed to death by an acquaintance of Sito’s. The two murders merited a few local news stories, and then the rest of the world moved on. But for Laurence Ralph, the stepfather of Sito’s half-brother—who had dedicated much of his academic career to studying gang-affiliated youth—Sito’s murder forced him to revisit the subject in a profoundly different way.

Written from Ralph's perspective as both a person enmeshed in Sito's family and an Ivy League professor and expert on the entanglement of class and violence, Sito is an intimate story with an message about the lived experience of urban danger and ultimately, grace.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Sito is Laurence Ralph's most intimate, most searching, and most liberated work yet. Following the murder of a teenage family member, Ralph explores this gutting loss through the eyes of fathers and mothers, brothers and friends. Moving seamlessly from living rooms to court rooms, he forces us to recognize that there are no easy answers when it comes to vengeance, healing, and justice. With depths beyond depths, this profound book is a memoir and a sociological analysis; it is a critique, a confession, and a prayer." —Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted

“With great care, skill, and nuance, acclaimed anthropologist Laurence Ralph tells the tragic story of nineteen-year-old Luis Alberto Quiñonez. Drawing on his pioneering research on race, policing, and violence, Ralph takes the reader on a powerful and moving journey that unveils the failures of the criminal justice system in the United States. While there is much to despair, Ralph leaves readers with a deep sense of hope—that the failures of the past can be corrected and that we can build a more just and equitable society where young people like Sito can survive and thrive.”—Keisha N. Blain, coeditor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019

“Sito is an extraordinary story of murder, grief, revenge, and the possibility of healing. With this beautifully written account, Laurence Ralph takes us to a place that is, at once, intimate and revealing. He calls into question his own ideals and scholarly conclusions as he confronts his family’s loss and grief. And, in the end with the Orishas guiding his tongue, he offers a prayer that we all need to hear. Heartwrenchingly complex. Sito is a powerful and moving book.” —Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University

"SITO is both a deeply moving work of remembrance and a powerful indictment of our racist judicial system. Once again, Ralph proves that he is a brilliant ethnographer and expert storyteller. His sensitive prose gives us heart wrenching insight into a young life that ended too soon and a grieving family’s search for truth, justice, and forgiveness. This book sets a new standard for social science writing in the 21st century."—Jason De León, Author of Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling

"Laurence Ralph ruminates on gang violence and our decadent criminal legal system through the life and tragic murder of his 19-year-old loved one, Sito. The blend of intimacy and authority, of self-and-structural reflection, of despair and expectation make for a profoundly affecting and edifying book. Sito is a triumph." —Ibram X. Kendi, National Book award-winner and New York Times bestselling author

Amazingly Heartbreaking and incredibly insightful

I own a paper copy of this book, and I needed to be told this story once again to get over the shock and emotion of first reading it. This 2nd time around, I was able to capture the details that got lost on me the first time. It is a horrendously tragic story told in such an intelligible and emotional way. The blend of anthropological perspectives with the author’s personal experiences made this book’s chapters pieces of art, in my opinion. The historical context was needed and informative while I was transported to and through each piece of the puzzle.

Transformative Read

It’s difficult to describe how heart wrenching and moving this book is. Can’t wait to see it be incorporated in high schools and universities because reading it alone will change your perspective on many topics related to street violence, justice and reform. The orisha aspect is also adds a beautiful touch. So profound to say the least.