Immigration and urban violence: The link between immigrant Latinos and types of homicide

Objective. Despite the perceived relationship between immigration and crime, scholars have advanced largely contradictory images of the effects of Latino immigration to urban areas. The goal of this paper is to establish the link between the size of urban Latino immigrant populations and the frequency of specific types of Latino homicide victimization rates. Methods. This research examines data from the 1980 Supplemental Homicide Reports (SHR) and the 1980 decennial census. While these data might not represent a contemporary situation, they are the only reliable source of information from government statistics. Results. Ordinary least squares regression analysis provides some support for economic deprivation and social disorganization interpretations of violence; however, the role of immigration varies by homicide type (e.g., felony and acquaintance killings) and is limited. Conclusions. These findings stress the need for addressing the link between immigration, urban conditions, and types of Latino homicide victimization.