Immigrants as Victims

• In Event: Latina/o Criminology Panel 3: Handbook of Immigration and Crime 1

Abstract

This paper examines the literature on the victimization of immigrants in the U.S. Recent studies on immigration and crime have consistently demonstrated that immigration does not increase crime contrary to widespread beliefs supported by anti-immigrant policies and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the victimization of immigrants despite widespread concerns on discrimination and violence targeting immigrants following a sudden rise in the immigration population. This review begins by reviewing some of the earlier literature following the rise in the immigration population at the start of the 20th century that has produced mixed results on the link between immigration and crime. Nevertheless, these studies provide examples of discrimination and violence against immigrants found in the American criminal justice system leading to their overrepresentation in certain areas. Next, I demonstrate how recent studies have drawn attention to the victimization of immigrants following the passage of anti-immigrant legislation in some states. I consider some of the ways in which hate crimes against immigrants have been examined in recent studies and close by providing some recommendations on future research to advance our understanding on how changes in the immigration population influence the likelihood of crimes against immigrants or those perceived to be immigrants.

Author

• Janice Anne Iwama, University of Massachusetts Boston