Immigrant Assimilation and Political Extremism in the United States.

• In Event: Terrorism Grievances, Ideology, and Violence

Abstract

Studies consistently show that foreign-born individuals are less likely to engage in criminal behavior than individuals born in the United States and that criminal involvement increases as the length of stay in the country increases and in the second and third immigrant generations. These patterns were observed in studies using a variety of sources of crime data and across different types of criminal behavior. However, previous studies have not examined whether the relationship between immigrant assimilation and violent political extremism follows the same patterns. Studies of violent political extremism have identified several social and demographic correlates of this behavior but did not thoroughly explore the role of immigration status or assimilation. This study aims to bridge the gap between these two literatures. Using a sample of profiles of individuals radicalized in the United States from Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) database we explore how immigrant generation, length of stay in the United States, immigrant residential concentration, and other immigrant assimilation-related characteristics affect the likelihood of engaging in violent extremism compared to non-violent extremist behavior.

Authors

• Feodor Gostjev, Bridgewater State University

• Cesar Rebellon, George Mason University

• Alex Ray, Bridgewater State University