Different Paths: The Role of Immigrant Assimilation on Neighborhood Crime

Objective. This article considers immigration a process that extends beyond numerical size. Processes of assimilation alter the effect of immigration on crime. That means the study is not concerned with direct but with contingent effects. The goal is to demonstrate how paths of segmented assimilation modify the effect of immigration on crime. Methods. Combining a data set on neighborhood crime with U.S. Census demographic indicators, this study relies on zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to examine variation in neighborhood levels of homicide and property offenses as a consequence of interactions between immigration size and assimilation patterns. Results and Discussion. Immigrant assimilation moderates the effect of immigration size on crime. Controlling for neighborhood disadvantage, when the probability of downward assimilation is high, immigration size reduces neighborhood safety. When the probability is low, immigration size enhances it. The effects are more robust for homicide regression models with recent immigrants and immigrants with limited linguistic skills. Conclusion. The analyses highlight the benefits of contingent models for understanding the relationship between immigration and crime.