Event Title

Make America Safe Again. Can Immigration Protect Urban Neighborhoods from Crime and Decline?

Location

Hart 116

Start Time

11-5-2017 10:50 AM

End Time

11-5-2017 11:05 AM

Description

The immigration policy debate in American is largely shaped by the belief that immigration is linked with higher crime rates. A large number of studies contradict this notion and show that areas where immigrants reside actually have lower crime rates than places with fewer immigrants. However, the reasons for this crime-suppressing effect of immigration are not well understood and few studies have explored the mechanisms responsible for this association. The current study is guided by immigrant revitalization theory that suggests that immigration reduces crime because it prevents depopulation and business infrastructure failure in inner-city communities. Using several data sources from the city of Boston, MA, the current study examines whether (1) higher levels of immigration lead to lower neighborhood crime rates and (2) to what extent this relationship is explained by residential and commercial vacancy rates.

Comments

Moderator: Khadija Monk

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May 11th, 10:50 AM May 11th, 11:05 AM

Make America Safe Again. Can Immigration Protect Urban Neighborhoods from Crime and Decline?

Hart 116

The immigration policy debate in American is largely shaped by the belief that immigration is linked with higher crime rates. A large number of studies contradict this notion and show that areas where immigrants reside actually have lower crime rates than places with fewer immigrants. However, the reasons for this crime-suppressing effect of immigration are not well understood and few studies have explored the mechanisms responsible for this association. The current study is guided by immigrant revitalization theory that suggests that immigration reduces crime because it prevents depopulation and business infrastructure failure in inner-city communities. Using several data sources from the city of Boston, MA, the current study examines whether (1) higher levels of immigration lead to lower neighborhood crime rates and (2) to what extent this relationship is explained by residential and commercial vacancy rates.