Examines the relationship between rates of violence and the presence of immigrants in the United States. Data for the study were gathered in 3 relatively small Northern California cities – rural, suburban, and urban – with significant Latino (predominantly Mexican) multigenerational populations. The block group, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, was selected as the best unit of analysis, along with such variables as poverty, divorce rate, alcohol availability, and the proportion of adults who could serve as protective role models. Among the findings were that the variations in the rates of violence in these cities could be attributed to structural or environmental factors in the neighborhoods, and not to ethnicity. The presence of immigrants in a community was not a significant factor for rates of violence. Rather, environmental factors such as the availability of alcohol and the density of alcohol outlets were linked to rates of violence. The study’s findings suggest that public policyin the service of violence prevention should focus on regulations to reduce the concentration of alcohol distributors. Policy decisions and laws, on the other hand, that target certain vulnerable groups of people, such as immigrants, can be discriminatory. (Description from source)
