I’m sure most of us know of stereotypes that are floating around in the world in regards to women, Muslims, immigrants, multiculturalism, etc.  I plan to share with you articles and facts that negate some of the most common stereotypes and archetypes.  The goal is to challenge you and your company ~ especially marketers ~ with 2×2 or 4×4 boxes that group people and their beliefs in segments they may or may not belong to.

The first of the series goes to…Tim Wadsworth of UC Boulder.  In the wake of Arizona’s passage of SB1070, the toughest state ban on illegal immigration to date, Wadsworth’s research finds that cities with the largest increases in immigrants from 1990-2000 experienced the largest reductions in violent crime. Wadsworth tests an earlier argument made in Contexts (and elsewhere) by Rob Sampson of Harvard.

There are many people and writers who believe the U.S.  may benefit as immigrants with strong work ethics and perseverance enter this country and move into disadvantaged neighborhoods.  Wadsworth’s study also shows that immigrants bring values with them that lead to more neighborhood cohesion and less crime.

This is quite different than the stereotyping we hear and read about immigrants… Sampson and Wadsworth’s findings certainly challenge the prevailing notion that ‘immigrant’ and ‘criminal’ are roles that often/usually/typically go together.

Stay tuned for more updates on the topic of negating stereotypes from Minneapolis criminal defense lawyers.