Racial Identity, Racial Attitudes and Latinos' Views on Police Reform Policies

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity, and the Politics of Policing

Abstract

Studies of Latinos and policing have focused overall on how this population has been affected by racial profiling, injustice, and violence at the hands of law enforcement and immigration enforcement officials. Recent research regarding Latinos’ awareness and support for the BLM movement found that those who hold negative racial stereotypes are less likely to support the movement, and that racial identity also matters in predicting support for criminal justice reform. I argue that the concepts of race, color and mestizaje as they are understood within Latino communities in the United States can influence political attitudes and policy positions among Latinos themselves. Using data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Study (CES) I examine how self-identification as white, racial resentment, and color-blind attitudes influence support/opposition to police reform policies among Latinos. Findings show that Latinos who identify as white are more likely to report that police make them feel safe, more likely to oppose the ban of choke holds as a police tactic, and more likely to support an increase in the police force. Furthermore, negative racial attitudes are predictive of opposition to police reform policies in general.

Author

• Ivelisse Cuevas-Molina, Fordham University