Close Call: Race and Gender in Encounters with the Police by Black and Latino/a Youth in New York City

Abstract

Police stops and other forms of intense policing practices involve a disproportionate number of minority persons, particularly youth. While studies have shown that these encounters are not well received, there is a paucity of research on the specific exchanges and citizen responses that unfold in the context of these stops. We address these issues drawing on interviews with 43 black and Latino/a youth in New York City. More specifically, we collate narratives of police stops and other encounters to document how different forms of microaggressions by law enforcement unfold across incidents, and how race and gender shape exposure to specific markers of hostility and violence, as well as the interpretation of these events and associated responses. Analyses reveal that microaggressions tied to the ascription of criminality were more frequently mentioned in the context of police stops, while others signaling inferiority appeared anchored in a more diverse set of encounters. We note contrasting strategies across race and gender to make sense of these interactions and relate these considerations to broader issues of racial and gender inequality.