Association of Skin Color and Generation on Arrests Among Mexican-Origin Latinos

Abstract

Arrest and interaction with the criminal justice system can have negative impacts to health and socioeconomic status. In the United States, Latinos are disproportionately arrested and jailed, when compared to their non-Latino peers. However, Latinos are not a homogeneous group. For example, generation and skin color are two factors that impact the social standing of Latinos in the United States. As a result, the present study tested if the effects of skin color on odds of arrest depended on generation among Mexican-origin Latinos living in the Greater Los Angeles County Area using data from the Immigration and International Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) survey ( N = 1,226). Unadjusted analyses showed that arrest rates increased with generation. Multivariate results revealed that darker skin color was associated with higher odds of arrest, but only for the second generation. These findings suggest that the likelihood of being arrested for Mexican-origin Latinos is not uniform. Observed differences could set the stage for disparities in health and socio-economic status.