Latinos, Immigrants, and the Importance of Police Views and Emerging Issues

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

The examination of Latinos has gained significant traction in criminology and criminal justice research. This group, despite its commonalities, have diverse perceptions and criminal justice interactions as they navigate their lives in U.S. communities. This panel seeks to draw attention to emerging issues impacting U.S.-based Latinos and immigrants in a variety of contexts. The first study analyzes data from El Paso residents, a predominately Latino and immigrant community alongside the U.S.-Mexico border, and aims to understand the broader influence of ethnic context in El Paso neighborhoods on resident willingness to call the police. The second study analyzes the same data; however, it seeks to understand how informal social control processes impact procedural justice and police legitimacy among El Paso residents. The third study leverages nationally representative data of large U.S. cities taken across 20 years to understand the relationship between the undocumented adult Mexican immigrant population and crime and victimization levels. The fourth study uses national data from an online sample of Latinos to examine perceived Latino threat and punitive border control attitudes within the Latino community. The last study examines an online sample of Latinos to assess how self-reported skin color is associated with various forms of police activity.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Correlates of Crime / 29. Immigration/Migration

Individual Presentations

• Examining the Impact of Ethnic Context on Willingness to Cooperate with the Police - Hyunjung Cheon, University of Texas at El Paso

• Neighborhood informal social control capacity and behavior and perceptions of procedural justice and police legitimacy: Testing associations between formal and informal social control processes - Theodore R. Curry, The University of Texas at El Paso

• The Effects of Undocumented Mexican Immigration on Victimization Rates Across a Sample of U.S. Cities - Zariah Pettus, Sam Houston State University; Javier Ramos, Sam Houston State University

• Intragroup Threat, Generational Status, and Immigration Attitudes: An Examination of the Threat-Control Relationship Among Latinos - Michelle Angel, Portland State University; Arynn Infante, Portland State University

• Latino Skin Color and Police Activity - Chris Guerra, The University of Texas at El Paso