The Violence Policy Center (VPC) has released a report that highlights the growing impact of gun violence on the Latino community in the United States. Between 2011 and 2021, deaths among Latinos/Hispanics due to firearm incidents nearly doubled, from 2,947 to 5,741, according to TeleSur. In addition, the homicide rate per 100,000 people in 2021 among Latinos was 5.2, compared to 3.1 among whites, evidencing a significant disparity.

The report points to several factors to explain the rise in gun violence among Latinos, including the firearms industry's efforts to turn them into consumers, a strategy driven by the need to offset the decline in the traditional consumer base (white men). That's in contrast to the history of the pro-gun movement, which used to “demonize” African-American and Latino communities but now seeks their support to sustain sales, according to VPC director Josh Sugarmann.

The campaign targeting Hispanics and other minorities by the firearms industry aims not only to increase sales but also to garner support for the pro-gun movement, the publication reports. Josh Sugarmann points out that the traditional consumer base is aging, and the industry needs to recruit new customers to compensate for this decrease.

A critical aspect highlighted in the report is the relationship between police violence, fueled by systemic racism in the United States, and gun violence in Latino communities. Also according to TeleSur, Michelle Monterrosa, coordinator of the Survivors of Crime for Security and Justice network, highlights the normalization of the idea that the Latino community can be victims of armed violence on a daily basis.

“Vanessa Gonzalez, vice president of Governmental and Political Affairs at the Giffords NGO, asserts that the firearms industry employs ‘fear and misinformation’ to attract customers, instilling in them the false belief that a firearm will provide greater protection”.

This questionable approach, combined with targeted marketing strategies, highlights the complexity of the problem of gun violence and the need for more comprehensive approaches to address this issue.

According to another publication, the VPC also warned that there are limitations in the collection of data on gun violence by public agencies that in many cases report race, but not ethnicity, which can cause an “underrepresentation” of Latinos among firearm victims.