Title: Crime and Violence Levels in Immigrant Latino Neighborhoods

Hannah Fischman

Keywords: 1. Latino 2. Homicide 3. Immigration 4. Social Disorganization theory 5. Ethnic enclave 6. Racial invariance thesis

Despite high levels of crime and violence in other ethnoracial minority neighborhoods, immigrant Latino neighborhoods see lower levels of crime than do other ethnoracial minority neighborhoods.

Key points: 1. A common assumption is that violence and crime are high in Latino neighborhoods because they are high in other ethnoracial minority neighborhoods 2. People assume that high levels of immigration prompt high levels of crime and violence 3. Violence and crime in Latino neighborhoods are actually significantly lower than in other minority neighborhoods, like black neighborhoods 4. High levels of immigration may actually decrease violence and a negative correlation between immigration and homicide persistently exists

In assessing the relationship between Latinos and violence, it is critical to acknowledge that this area includes a range of topics such as drug crimes, sexual violence, gang violence, domestic abuse and hate crimes, amongst others. But this issue brief focuses specifically on immigrant Latino neighborhoods, and the levels of crime and homicide within, because people often erroneously assume that crime and homicide are rampantly high within immigrant neighborhoods. On the contrary though, immigrant Latino neighborhoods have a significantly lower rate of homicide and violence compared to other ethnoracial minority neighborhoods, and this issue brief explains potential reasons for the homicide gap. First I analyze the reasons behind the common misconception that immigrant Latino neighborhoods posses high violence rates. People frequently assume that immigration generates violence and crime. Firstly, one may conclude that Latino immigrants are likely crime agents because they are part of a typically crime-prone demographic: young, single males with relatively few family attachments. Secondly, the immigration process leaves them strained and with minimal opportunities and part of a group facing language and culture barriers. Thirdly, Social Disorganization Theory explains that when immigrants move into neighborhoods they disturb the stability and cause disorganization, and thus crime is likely to erupt.1 Media is also a liable culprit in the painting of Latino immigrants as violent. Americans were insecure during the wave of Latino immigration, and this insecurity drove the media’s depiction of Latinos as predators and criminals who refused to assimilate. Images of Latino gang violence and shooting proliferated in the media and pop culture, and linked them to social problems and gang violence in people’s imaginations. 2 However, compared to other ethnoracial minority communities such as black neighborhoods, immigrant Latino communities contain significantly less crime and violence. Evidence indicates that immigrants in general are unlikely criminal candidates. While correlation does not imply causation, a negative correlation persists between immigration and homicide- where when immigration increases, crime remains stagnant. (See Image 1)3 Butcher and Piel’s research explains why recent immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than non-immigrants of similar demographic characteristics, discussed in the following paragraph. 4 Immigration mitigates crime and violence for several reasons. Firstly, immigrants tend to establish ethnic enclaves, which are areas characterized by the presence of immigrants with sufficient capital to create new opportunities for economic growth. Secondly, immigrants expand community institutions like schools and churches. These institutions foster stability, community, resources and the strengthening of social cohesion. Thirdly, Immigrants are a self- selected, educated and motivated bunch. The process to gain entry is such a strenuous and difficult one, and may wean out potential criminals. Therefore the ones entering the country are less liable for criminality and violence.

1 Feldmeyer 2 Martinez, 34 3 Martinez, 46 4 Feldmeyer Further, the Racial Invariance Thesis offers an explanation as to why Latino immigrant neighborhoods see less crime then black neighborhoods. The Racial Invariance Thesis hypothesizes that concentrated disadvantages will contribute to crime levels regardless of the neighborhood’s racial composition. In other words, a neighborhood’s majority ethnicity or race does not determine its homicide and violence levels, but rather, its disadvantages do. Black neighborhoods have more concentrated disadvantages than Latino neighborhoods, explaining why Black communities see higher levels of homicide. Latino neighborhoods have better ties with economic officials, the police department, and local politicians than do Black neighborhoods. Latino populations are less segregated from white populations, and therefore benefit from nearby more affluent and socially organized neighborhoods. 5 However, Latino neighborhoods nevertheless see substantially greater levels of crime and homicide than white neighborhoods, and the Racial Invariance Thesis explains this gap as well.6 While Latino neighborhoods have fewer disadvantages than Black neighborhoods, White neighborhoods have less than Latino ones. The graph below 7 narrows down even further within Latinos to Hispanics, and illustrates that Hispanic incarceration and crime is substantially below Black incarceration, and just above white. Such data perhaps indicates that if the Latino population were subject to the same set of structural characteristics as the white population, homicide rate in Latino areas would be lower. 8

5 Peterson, Krivo, Hagen 6 Phillips 7 Unz, The Myth of Hispanic Crime 8 Phillips Works Cited Feldmeyer, Ben. "Immigration and Violence: The Offsetting Effects of Immigrant Concentration on Latino Violence." Social Science Research 38.3 (2009): 717-31. Web. Gendar, Alison. "Blacks, Latinos Lead Crime Stats - NYPD." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2016. Martínez, Ramiro. Latino Homicide: Immigration, Violence, and Community. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. Peterson, Ruth D., Lauren Joy. Krivo, and John Hagan. "5." The Many Colors of Crime: Inequalities of Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America. New York: New York UP, 2006. N. pag. Print. Phillips, Julie A. "White, Black, and Latino Homicide Rates: Why the Difference?" Social Problems 49.3 (2002): 349-73. Web. "A Rising Share: Hispanics and Federal Crime." Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS. N.p., 18 Feb. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2016. Unz, Ron. "The Myth of Hispanic Crime." The Unz Review Entire. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.