Down These Mean Streets was the first work by a Puerto Rican author writing in English to attract a large readership. A best-seller when it appeared in 1967, it gave many Americans a window into the lives of people in New York’s Puerto Rican ghetto. The writing of Piri Thomas called attention to the dilemma of American Puerto Ricans, growing up between cultures, in low-income neighborhoods, and often unsure of whether to classify themselves as “black” or “white.” Among Puerto Ricans, the book became an inspiration for the “Nuyorican” literary movement that began in the 1970’s.

Down These Mean Streets was controversial as well as influential. It was criticized for its violence, explicit sexuality, and expression of strong racial feelings. During the 1970’s, the book was banned from the shelves of school libraries in a number of communities, including Queens in New York; Levittown, Long Island; Darien, Connecticut; and Salinas, California. Responding to these attempts at book banning, Thomas became an outspoken opponent of all forms of censorship.