Revisiting Latino Homicides in U.S. Counties: The Importance of Context and Settings

• In Event: 295 - Regular Session. Violence

Abstract

In a recent analysis of the effect of immigration on homicide in U.S. counties, Shihadeh and Barranco (2013) challenged the consensus of most criminologists that immigration does not increase homicide. The present investigation attempts to shed additional light on the immigration/violence linkage among Latinos. Our review of the Shihadeh and Barranco investigation shows that it suffers from a number of conceptual and methodological limitations. Correcting for these difficulties we find no evidence that immigration increased the rate of Latino homicide in 2000 in any setting.

Authors

• Ramiro Martinez, Northeastern University

• Meghan Elizabeth Peel, Michigan State University