Adaptation & Incorporation: Part 1 - Salisbury University



Immigration and Crime—Lecture Outline

Issues to Consider in Group Discussion on Immigration & Crime:

1. What social factors (class, race/ethnicity, ed. level) are associated with higher incarceration rates, generally, in US. What groups have highest incarceration rates? Based on that, what would we expect for lower-income immigrant groups? How do immigrant incarceration rates compare with that of US natives? How do 2nd generation incarceration rates compare with those of 1st generation – for various lower-income Latino and Asian immigrant groups? (P&R 194-197)

2. How are crime rates in disadvantaged neighborhoods associated with immigration? What is the “Latino Paradox” & what is it regarding violent crime? How do Latinos (mainly Mexican American) in Chicago compare with natives (whites & blacks) on violent crime rates? How do 1st generation Latino immigrants compare with 2nd and 3rd generation Latino immigrants? What are main explanations for these trends – esp. Self-Selection or Social Selection? How might immigrant culture contribute to crime rate trends? (Sampson web rdg.)

3. What is MS-13 gang and how violent and dangerous are its members? What is the “Secure Communities” program of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency? What problem was exposed in Loudon Co. VA rape case? Who (& committed what offenses) is supposed to be in “Secure Communities” database? What does the Police Executive Research Forum recommend re: local police involvement in immigration enforcement, & why? (Hsu et al. web rdg.)

4. How is the crime issue portrayed and used by Border Patrol officials in “Operation Blockade” and the Sunland Park Border Wall proposal? How does this help the BP? What did they say about unauthorized / illegal immigration and crime (street crime, train robberies, booby traps, possible hazardous materials spills via train derailments, etc.). How does this compare to local residents’ views on unauthorized immigrants and crime? What is the local data or broader reality of crime and unauthorized immigration – what does it show? Are BP and local resident views accurate? How does this data / broader reality compare with what P&R and Sampson found about immigration & crime? (Dunn Ch. 3 & 4)

Lecture & some Group Discussion points:

Background to my book (Chs. 3 & 4 on “Operation Blockade and The Border Wall debate)

Relationship Border Patrol & Social Environment (& Social Actors in Soc. Enivronment)

Op. Blockade was the BP Response to Changes in Social Environment – i.e., the aftermath of Bowie Lawsuit (social environment) forced BP to change tactics & strategy

Crime Issue key for BP in framing of Op. Blockade & for Border Wall proposal, to build public support – associated crime with unauthorized border crossers. BUT what was data on crime issue? How much impact did Op. Blockade have? Data turns out to be pretty mixed, not nearly so clear as BP said… Crime was already declining before Op Blockade, and when Border Wall was proposed. (Dunn Chs. 3, 4)

“Latino Paradox” re: Latino SES and social indicators, esp. crime in this case. (Sampson web reading)

Violent Crime offending by Latinos, compared to whites and blacks (Sampson web reading)

And Significant differences in rates of violent crime offending among Latinos by immigration and generations in US (1st gen. vs. 2nd gen, vs. 3rd gen., etc.). (Sampson web reading)

Explanations: Self-Selection, Culture, Under-reporting by immigrants (not for homicide, though)? (Sampson web rdg.); & what does this tell us about assimilation / acculturation? (Sampson web reading)

Incarceration & Acculturation/Assimilation (P&R 194-197)

Immigrant incarceration rate vs. native born incarceration rates, & what that says about acculturation to US.

Look in detail at incarceration rates for young male US natives and immigrants by various country or origin backgrounds & education level [esp. HS drop-out], and for country of origin: immigrants vs. US born

Key trends among US natives compared to immigrants, overall; among immigrants by ed. & country of origin immigrant vs. US born, & compared to US non-Hispanic whites and blacks, native born & foreign.

MS-13 as very dangerous Salvadoran gang (Hsu et al. web rdg.)

Origins of MS-13 (lecture only)

Summary of use of crime issue by Border Patrol to frame Operation Blockade and build support for Border Wall proposal – compare with some of reality of crime issue in El Paso and Sunland Park (wall area) – crime rates before and after, etc. Use of myths & symbols, esp. in Border wall debate – e.g., border bandits, etc. (Dunn Chs. 3 & 4)

Other things to know from readings, but not covered much (if at all) in class:

What is the “Secure Communities” program of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency? What problem was exposed in Loudon Co. VA rape case? (Hsu et al. web rdg.)

How aggressively does the Police Executive Research Forum recommend local police enforce immigration law? (Hsu et al. web rdg.)

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