Seminar
This study employs data on the race/ethnicity of victims and offenders for robbery and aggravated assaults from census tracts in one area of the city of Los Angeles from 2000-2006 to test the propensity for intra- versus inter-group violent crime of Latinos and African-Americans. The research appropriately accounts for local structural features against a null of general propinquity effects based upon the probability of interaction between these two groups, and finds that intra-group violent crime occurs more frequently than inter-group crime. As well, both inter- and intra-group crime occur more frequently in racially mixed neighborhoods. In the study area that has witnessed a tremendous influx of Latinos, neighborhoods undergoing racial/ethnic transformation experienced considerably higher levels of inter-group aggravated assault and robberies committed by African-Americans against Latinos. African-Americans also appear to respond violently to rising economic power of this incoming group.