“Another Gang in the Neighborhood": Police Illegitimacy in Latinx and Black Communities

• In Event: 40267 - Towards an Unruly Latinx Sociology

Abstract

Across the United States, Latinx and Black Americans disproportionately experience policing practices that contribute to high rates of legal cynicism—a belief that the law and its enforcers are illegitimate, unresponsive, and unable to ensure public safety. While existing research has explored the relationship between policing and legal cynicism within Black communities, particularly among Black men, less is known about the experiences of Black women and Latinx individuals. Using an intersectional lens, this study draws on 20 interviews with Black and Latinx men and women in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, to address the following research questions: How do experiences with police vary by race and gender, and do they contribute to legal cynicism? Tied to legal cynicism, how do practices designed to prepare children for police encounters, such as “the police talk” vary across Latinx and Black respondents and their families? The study finds that negative experiences with police contribute to legal cynicism, which varies by race and gender. By centering on the unique histories and policing experiences of multiple generations of Latino and Black men and women, this project provides an innovative, multi-layered portrait that reflects broader dynamics within marginalized communities in California.

Author

• Humberto Flores, University of California-Santa Barbara