Examining the Role of Ethnic Businesses and Immigrant-Oriented Organizations in Explaining the Immigration-Crime Nexus

• In Event: Individual-Level Research Labor Force Participation, Drug Use, and Crime.

Abstract

Studies show that immigration is often negatively associated with aggregate crime or yields no effect. Yet, an important omission in this line of literature is what explains the inverse connection between immigrant concentration and crime. One idea that is often forwarded to explain this connection is the immigration revitalization thesis. According to this perspective, immigrants curtail crime by opening businesses that serve the local co-ethnic population and by strengthening neighborhood organizations. While these arguments are certainly plausible, they have rarely been tested in prior research. To this end, the present study will examine the effects of ethnic businesses and immigrant-oriented businesses on crime across neighborhoods in Houston, TX and whether these institutions mediate the relationship between immigration and crime.

Authors

• Jaylyn Magana, Sam Houston State University

• Mayra Salas, Sam Houston State University

• Javier Ramos, Sam Houston State University

• Yan Zhang, Sam Houston State University