Police violence in the United States has sparked various controversial debates on whether the killings of Latinos are racially motivated or not. The issue of race in the United States has existed for a prolonged period over the years and is still not entirely over. There is an apparent disparity between different social classes, which causes conflict resulting in some individuals even in law enforcement to lash. The most affected group of police violence is minorities, including Latinos. Recent cases of officers using excessive force and brutally killing Latinos have made headlines in the media, raising critical questions about racial differences and individual rights.
This reading for this week is focused on analyzing the justice system in the United States and specifically why Latino killings by police may be racially motivated. According to a study by Edwards (2019), minority groups are more likely to be shot by a police officer than a regular white person. African Americans have a higher likelihood of getting shot, and Latinos come in second with the chances of being higher for males. This fact is shocking, and there is no doubt that there is a racial element to it. If the issue of race is evident, then a more important question to answer would be why this would be the case (Edwards, 2019).
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The article by Downs offers more insight into why Latino killings have increased and why nobody seems to be interested in the sudden change over the past few years (Downs, 2016). Downs explains a case of two African American men who were shot by police, which went viral, sparking the debate of why Latino killings that were similar lacked the same media attention and coverage. Several activist groups have protested publicly about the issue demanding that the killings of Latinos also be publicly recognized by the media and government as a serious issue. I agree that because of the numerous cases of Latinos killed by police, the public has become less concerned about the problem, and the media has shrugged the issue giving it less priority over other news items (Downs, 2016).
An article by Fountain (2016) highlights extreme police violence compared to other races giving an example 17-year old Hernandez, who got shot four times. Her also death did not receive the media attention required for such a case. Fountain (2016) states that Latino shooting by police never make national headlines compared to when a white person gets shot by the police (Fountain, 2016)). Latinos get less attention because of their race and social class, considering that most of the Latino population is poor, with a large percentage resulting in crime.
Powell (2012) examined the alarming rate at which police randomly frisked black and Latino males. From this point of view, the police consider Black and Latino males to be potential criminal suspects. This is a clear indication of racial prejudice which exists among police officers. Powell (2012) also states that there is a more significant number of Blacks and Latinos detained compared to white people who comprise the majority of the population. By criminalizing Latinos, the police discriminate Latinos on a racial basis, adding on top of the current problems they face, including poverty and limited employment opportunities (Powell, 2012).
The study by Vera Sanchez (2011) explores the increased police violence among Latinos in high crime and disadvantaged neighborhoods. The data collected from interviews with non-delinquent youth revealed that most Latino communities experience numerous cases of armed robbery assaults. This perception, therefore, makes the police treat most Latinos as criminals. According to the study, young people in minority groups living in urban areas experience aggressive police encounters because of their race. It is clear that minority groups in the united states are stereotyped and grouped as poor and likely to commit a crime. This makes police apply extreme measures every time a minority individual or group is involved.
References
Downs, K. (2016, July 14). Why aren't more people talking about Latinos killed by police? Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/black-men-werent-unarmed-people-killed-police-last-week .
Edwards, F., Lee, H., & Esposito, M. (2019). Risk of being killed by police use of force in the United States by age, race-ethnicity, and sex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(34), 16793-16798.
Fountain, Jr., A. G. (2016, February 7). OPINION: Stop ignoring the police killings of Latinos. Retrieved from http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2016/2/stop-ignoring-the-police-killings-of-latinos.html .
Powell, K. (2012, June 15). The Stop-and-Frisk Crisis: How to Criminalize an Entire Generation of Black and Latino Men.
Vera Sanchez, C. G., & Adams, E. B. (2011). Sacrificed on the altar of public safety: The policing of Latino and African American youth. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 27(3), 322-341.
