Homicide victimization in California: an Asian and non-Asian comparison.

Previous literature has not specified the contextual differences that adequately explain Asian Americans' underinvolvement in homicide. This study examines the social contexts within which homicide takes place. Homicide data from 1991 to 1999 in California are analyzed, and the results show that, compared to other groups, Asian homicide victims are more likely to be killed by family members, to be female, and to be married. Results of a negative binomial regression analysis also show that an acculturation factor that weakens the institution of family tends to affect general homicide more for Asian Americans than non-Asians but does not affect Asian family homicide. Social disadvantage factors affect non-Asian homicide more than Asian homicide.