Migration and the persistence of violence

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Criminology
• Migration Studies

Background:

• Internal migration patterns in the United States are complex.
• Geographic variations in crime rates and violence exist across states.
• The long-term impact of origin environment on migrant behavior is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether historical homicide rates persist with internal US migrants.
• To explore the sociocultural factors underlying the persistence of risk associated with migration.
• To understand how origin-specific adaptations influence migrant safety in new environments.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of large-scale datasets on millions of internal US migrants.
• Examination of correlations between birth state's historical homicide rates and migrant outcomes.
• Conducting a national survey of internal White US migrants, oversampling those from historically unsafe states.

Main Results:

• Individuals born in states with higher historical homicide rates experience greater risk, including police violence, regardless of their destination.
• This pattern is consistent across various demographic groups and socioeconomic statuses.
• Survey data indicates migrants from historically unsafe states exhibit sociocultural adaptations, perceiving the world as more dangerous and valuing self-reliance.

Conclusions:

• Historical homicide rates appear to 'follow' internal migrants, suggesting persistent risk exposure.
• Sociocultural adaptations developed in dangerous environments may increase vulnerability in safer locations.
• Understanding these adaptations is crucial for addressing persistent disparities in safety and violence exposure among internal migrants.