Latino Police Violence

Latino Police Violence By David Tabarez

Every race and ethnicity has suffered the crime of Police brutality, especially Latinos. When this group suffers unlawful punishment at the hands of the police, these crimes often go under reported by the media and law enforcement alike. Statistics from the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics show that Latinos ages 20-34 are three times as likely to be killed by police than the national average. (Who Are Police Killing? — Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice) Furthermore, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice states that,“Latinos are victimized by police killings at a level 30 percent above average and 1.9 times the rate of White, non-Latinos.”

Additionally, Hispanics often prove to be victims of harsher treatment from the police, incurring many unfair searches and arrests. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics,“Hispanics, for example, make up 17.6 percent of the U.S. population but represent 23 percent of all searches and nearly 30 percent of arrests.” ("Why Aren’t More People Talking about Latinos Killed by Police?" PBS. Public Broadcasting Service) Despite their small national population, Latinos are often treated more unfairly and face biased searches from the Police. Statistics such as these clearly indicate that Latinos and Police violence is civil rights issue.

The modern interactions of Latinos and Police closely relate to those of Blacks and law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement. Blacks had over 75 years of integration since their release from slavery, yet were still harassed and attacked by police when they tried to gain equal rights during the 1960’s. Likewise, Latinos have over 30 years of integration since their mass immigration wave that began during 1980 but continue to be harassed.

According to data from the Migrant Policy institute, over 9.5 million Mexican Immigrants have entered the United States since 1980 and now make up 17.6 percent of the population. ("Mexican Immigrants in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org) Furthermore, data from The Pew Research Center shows that Latinos are three times as likely to be convicted guilty by police and sent to prison when compared to whites. ("Incarceration Gap Widens between Whites and Blacks." Pew Research Center) Despite their large part in society, Latinos are often discriminated against and arrested by police.

While the Civil Rights Movement and the federal struggles of modern Latinos are similar, these movements differ in significant ways, such as the participants of these movements. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s involved mainly Blacks and small groups of whites. These people fought for black suffrage, equal labor, education equality, and the removal of segregation through the use of protest and boycotts.

The Gilder Lehrman institute of American History stated that,“Black and white liberal reformers struggled to ameliorate these oppressive practices, forming groups like the NAACP in 1909 and the National Urban League in 1911.” Furthermore, many of the advocates for Latino and Police relationships are very different than those of the 1960 civil rights movement. Kelia Downs of PBS Newshour stated,“Organizations like the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Voto Latino and even Black Lives Matter, are raising awareness of police use-of-force in Latino communities.”These modern advocates utilize large rallies and vigils alongside protests at government buildings.

One might now ask “What can I do to help this movement?” Although some acts violence are impossible to prevent, the American public can bring this issue to the attention and media and the government. By acknowledging this civil injustice, more people will eventually join to help prevent this violence from reoccurring.

Furthermore, any new advocate should look at websites and mission statements of Latino advancement advocate groups, such as the NCLR and Voto Latino. These groups hope to stop Latino Police violence and wish to,“Serve millions of Latinos in the areas of civic engagement”("About Us." About Us. NCLR) and, “Empower Latinos to be agents of change.”("About Us." VotoLatino.) Lastly, attending peaceful protests and rallies can also help spread this message. These rallies are often held in prominent cities, such as Washington D.C or Chicago.

In conclusion, Latino Police Violence remains to be a modern issue, however, advocates and the general American public can change this for the better.

Biblography: Works Cited

"The Civil Rights Movement: Major Events and Legacies." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 30 July 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/civil-rights-movement/essays/civil-rights-movement-major-events-and-legacies>.

Downs, Kenya. "Why Aren’t More People Talking about Latinos Killed by Police?" PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 14 July 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/black-men-werent-unarmed-people-killed-police-last-week/>.

Drake, Bruce. "Incarceration Gap Widens between Whites and Blacks." Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, 05 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/06/incarceration-gap-between-whites-and-blacks-widens/>.

"Mexican Immigrants in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. Migration Policy Institute, 02 Mar. 2017. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-immigrants-united-states>.

Mike Males Published: August 26, 2014. "Who Are Police Killing?" Who Are Police Killing? — Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <http://www.cjcj.org/news/8113>

.

Schmidt, Rick Rojas and Samantha. "Amid Protests Over Police Shootings of Black Men, Latinos Note a Disparity." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 July 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/us/amid-protests-over-police-shootings-of-black-men-latinos-note-a-disparity.html?_r=1>.

"About Us." About Us. NCLR, 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <http://www.nclr.org/about-us/>.

"About Us." VotoLatino. VotoLatino, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <http://votolatino.org/about-us/>.

Photos and Media:

http://america.aljazeera.com/content/ajam/multimedia/2015/8/police-killings-of-latinos-spark-less-outrage/jcr:content/mainpar/adaptiveimage/src.adapt.960.high.Latino_victims_lead-photo.1439471848560.jpg

https://i0.wp.com/bradleyallen.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/salinas_21_carcel-a-policias-asesinos_5-25-14.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CkvMYdsWsAA_yyd.jpg

http://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5787dea6814b54392dde94b4/master/pass/police-protest-racial-disparity-bias.jpg

http://www.blackwestchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sheidayi20130723060548777.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/1963_march_on_washington.jpg

http://media.npr.org/assets/music/lists/takefive/2010/01/mlkjr_wide-3392e29850b9316426c0e457d9874673a2dfba28-s900-c85.jpg

https://www.neh.gov/files/imagecache/neh_large/humanities/articles/2013_0304_webimages_lewis_10.jpg

http://media.nj.com/politics_impact/photo/ride-along-with-camden-police-13749081b8cea6f0.jpg

Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by Tony Webster - "Police Tape" • TippaN - "demonstration protest civil" • TippaN - "demonstration protest civil"

Latino Police Violence By David Tabarez

Report Abuse