Immigration And Crime
The connection between crime and immigration has long been debated. Contrary to evidence, many Americans still believe that rising immigration leads to rising crime. Immigrants are thought to either be more criminal before they migrate and turn to a criminal lifestyle after settling in or become criminal through the process of immigration itself. Opposite of this, recent research findings show that immigration may actually contribute to a decrease of the overall crime rate. However, such theories are hard to support as immigrants are usually underrepresented in criminal statistics. Across the board, the correlation between immigrants and crime is unclear due to contrary information and the lack of sufficient data.
The debate between increased …show more content…
Research conducted by Lee, Martinez, and Rosenfeld in 2001 examined the relationship between immigrants and homicide rates in El Paso, Miami, and San Diego. Their research showed that the arrival of immigrants from 1985-1995 did not increase race-specific homicide rates (Lee, Martinez, & Rosenfeld, 2001). In another study, Robert Sampson and his colleagues found that an average male living in a high-risk, native-born neighborhood was 25 percent more likely to commit a violent criminal act than an average male living in a high-risk, immigrant neighborhood (Sampson, Morenoff, & Raudenbush, 2005). Finally, another study examining violent and property crime in about 140 metropolitan areas concluded that recent immigration did not inflate crime in metropolitan areas and had actually reduced homicide and theft rates, respectively (Reid, Weiss, Adelman, & Jaret, …show more content…
Studies that separate crime data into in specific subgroups and examine crime patterns are especially helpful, especially for ethnic groups that are the target for stereotyping (Lee & Martinez, 2000). A recent study using national and local level data found that incarceration rates among immigrants increased as the amount of time spent in the United States increased (Lee & Martinez, 2000). According to the study, although first-generation immigrants have lower incarceration rates, the incarceration rates for Latin American and Asian groups born in the United States is greater than the incarceration rate of non-Hispanic whites (Lee & Martinez, 2000). Studies conducted in such a way are necessary as they take into account many factors specific to different immigrant groups as opposed to grouping all immigrants groups into one racialized category (Lee & Martinez,
The debate between increased …show more content…
Research conducted by Lee, Martinez, and Rosenfeld in 2001 examined the relationship between immigrants and homicide rates in El Paso, Miami, and San Diego. Their research showed that the arrival of immigrants from 1985-1995 did not increase race-specific homicide rates (Lee, Martinez, & Rosenfeld, 2001). In another study, Robert Sampson and his colleagues found that an average male living in a high-risk, native-born neighborhood was 25 percent more likely to commit a violent criminal act than an average male living in a high-risk, immigrant neighborhood (Sampson, Morenoff, & Raudenbush, 2005). Finally, another study examining violent and property crime in about 140 metropolitan areas concluded that recent immigration did not inflate crime in metropolitan areas and had actually reduced homicide and theft rates, respectively (Reid, Weiss, Adelman, & Jaret, …show more content…
Studies that separate crime data into in specific subgroups and examine crime patterns are especially helpful, especially for ethnic groups that are the target for stereotyping (Lee & Martinez, 2000). A recent study using national and local level data found that incarceration rates among immigrants increased as the amount of time spent in the United States increased (Lee & Martinez, 2000). According to the study, although first-generation immigrants have lower incarceration rates, the incarceration rates for Latin American and Asian groups born in the United States is greater than the incarceration rate of non-Hispanic whites (Lee & Martinez, 2000). Studies conducted in such a way are necessary as they take into account many factors specific to different immigrant groups as opposed to grouping all immigrants groups into one racialized category (Lee & Martinez,