Racial Dynamics and Hate Crimes: A Community-Level Investigation in Chicago

• In Event: Patterns of Prejudice: Modeling and Analyzing Hate Crime Distribution in American Cities

Abstract

Using data from the Chicago Police Department and American Community Survey (ACS) demographic indicators, we examine the spatial arrangements and social dynamics of race-based hate crimes in 77 Chicago community areas in 2023, when the bias-motivated hate perpetration in the city spiked and racially motivated hate crimes are most prevalent share of hate-motivated violence. Our spatial autoregressive modes reveal that socioeconomic factors such as household income, home values, and crime are associated with hate crime prevalence. By comparing anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, anti-mixed, and anti-White hate crimes, we further find that the mechanisms of race-based hate crimes differ due to the characteristics of the group being targeted.

Authors

• Judith Amegbe, Louisiana State University

• Hyunsu Oh, Louisiana State University