Hate Crime and Bias Victimization of Latinx Adults: Rates From a Multisite Community Sample

Objective: To contribute a more complete and accurate understanding of rates of bias victimization toward Latinxs using self-report data from a community sample. Method: Totally, 910 Latinx adults from Boston, San Diego, and Houston were recruited through partnerships with community agencies and self-selection during local Latinx-focused events through the Spring and Summer of 2018. The survey evaluated experiences with hate crime, bias victimization, and non-bias victimization in their lifetime and past year. Background demographic information including immigration and documentation status were also queried. Results: The overall lifetime bias victimization rate for respondents was 52.9%. When focusing specifically on hate crimes this percentage was 28.4%, while the noncriminal bias victimization rate was 50%. There was a significant relationship between prior to past year bias victimization and past year nonbias victimization. Inversely, prior to past year non-bias victimization was also associated with past year bias victimization. Conclusion: The results of this study illustrate the limited nature of existing data sets on hate crime that rely on officially reported incidents or national surveys.