Understanding the Spatial Effects on Hate Crimes in a Majority-Minority Context: An Examination of Hate Crimes against Latinos

• In Event: Latin@ Criminology Panel 2: Victimization and Vulnerabilities of Latinos and Immigrants

Abstract

This presentation will examine the link between community conditions and anti-Latino hate crimes following widespread concern and speculation on what provokes these incidents from occurring in communities. This research aims to test two divergent theories, defended communities and social disorganization perspectives, as well as to offer another perspective that merges constructs informed by both theories. Using anti-Latino hate crime data collected from the Los Angeles County for reports from 2003 to 2013, the results indicate support for an explanation that synthesizes both perspectives. Results of the analyses offer support for combining constructs from both perspective and suggest that the missing link in the hate crime literature is differentiating between the different outcomes for targeted groups. Results of the analyses lend limited support to the defended communities, in contrast to earlier research, but provide support for a defensive socially disorganized community. The analyses call attention to the importance of merging theoretical constructs and examining groups outside of anti-black and anti-white given demographic changes in communities across the United States. The conclusion suggests that research drawn from theories on communities and crime could provide a practical framework for examining hate crimes as they offer important policy implications for local communities.

Author

• Janice A. Iwama, University of Massachusetts Boston