The Role of Immigration for Violent Deaths

Abstract

This article examines the role of community-level factors, including percentage immigrant, for Latino- and Black-specific homicides and suicides in Miami, Florida. Using medical examiner data for 1985-1995 violent deaths and 1990 Census data, this article examines the contexts under which ethnic-specific lethal violence occurs at the census tract level. The results indicate that immigrants are not disrupting communities or undermining social integration. Overall, the article illustrates the importance of considering immigration for understanding race- and ethnic-specific lethal violence as well as the utility of examining the community contexts in which both homicide and suicide tend to occur.