The Los Angeles riots in spring 1992 were among the most violent and destructive events in twentieth-century urban America. This book addresses three questions: What were the causes of the riots, what actually took place, and what are the consequences and meaning of the riots for U.S. cities? The findings presented here provide strong evidence that the existence of an inner-city "underclass," the persistence of black-white tensions in U.S. society, and the emergence of inter-ethnic hostilities in urban neighborhoods are critical to understanding the Los Angeles riots and their implications. The book is crucial to everyone's understanding of the contemporary urban environment and will be ideal as a supplementary text in urban politics, sociology, urban planning and policy courses as well as in current affairs.