We tend to believe that increased immi gration leads to increases in the crime rate, both because of the increased ethnic tension that increases hostility and potential violence and because the...

We tend to believe that increased immi gration leads to increases in the crime rate, both because of the increased ethnic tension that increases hostility and potential violence and because the immigrants are often poorer and therefore turn to crime to enhance their class position. But if we thought that, we would be wrong (Figure 8.5). Research by Robert Sampson found that Mexican American immigrants in Chicago were 45 percent less likely to commit violence than third-gener-ation Americans. He found that “immigrants appear in general to be less violent than people born in America, particularly when they live in neighborhoods with high numbers of other immigrants.” Perhaps instead of moving from the multicultural city to the more homo-geneous suburbs to avoid crime and violence, we should move to an immi-grant neigh-borhood. They’re safer (Sampson, 2006)!

Figure 8.5