Scarface Myth

The Scarface myth refers to a set of beliefs about the violent and crime-prone nature of a specific group of Cuban immigrants, known as Marielitos. The myth gets its name from the character of Scarface, portrayed by Al Pacino in the 1983 film of that name directed by Brian De Palma. Although the Scarface myth emerged nearly 25 years ago, it remains a relevant topic for criminologists because as national rates of immigration have increased, a similar set of beliefs has been applied to foreign-born groups more generally.

Approximately 125,000 Marielitos relocated to the United States from Cuba during a period of relaxed immigration standards authorized by the Cuban government in the early 1980s. They were called Marielitos because the port of origin for most of their boats was Mariel, in northern Cuba. The fact that a portion of the arriving immigrants were involved in the criminal justice and/or mental health systems in Cuba was seized upon by news and media outlets in Miami (Florida) and across the country. This information led many to conclude that the Marielito population included a disproportionate number of violent criminals. This entry examines the Scarface myth in the context of historical reactions to immigration and describes its continued importance to the study of immigration and crime.

It is certainly true that the emergence of the Scarface myth was a response to a specific pattern of immigration and circumstances in Miami and, to a lesser extent, the patterns of immigration to the United States during this period. It is possible to interpret the particulars of the myth as an isolated response to a particular wave of immigrants. However, taking a broader historical perspective, it appears that the sentiment advanced by the Scarface myth, which focuses on the criminality of newcomers, is a relatively common response to immigration. Indeed, immigration opponents have argued about the perils of the “criminal aliens” for over a century. For example, some scholars contend that immigration has been a principal factor in surges in levels of national crime across various historical periods. Similarly, researchers also point out that dating back more than 150 years, anti-immigration proponents have often claimed that immigration is a sufficient condition to cause increases in levels of criminal deviance. When placed in a comparative context, the evidence suggests that perhaps the more recent Scarface myth represents a new incarnation of an established practice of influencing public perceptions regarding immigration.

Since the Mariel boatlift in 1980, the size of the foreign-born population in the United States has grown exponentially. In addition, as the immigrant population in this country has become increasingly diverse, elements of the Scarface myth are still advanced by the mainstream media. One notable difference, however, is that current representations relating to immigration and crime are no longer restricted to largely fictional portrayals (i.e., movies, television). Instead, politically based talk shows, on both radio and television, offer a new vehicle by [Page 724]which the myth's support for the immigration-crime link is disseminated. Reports issued by media-monitoring agencies have documented the fact that it is common for television and radio personalities to discuss the criminal and noncriminal deviance of immigrants. Although such claims have been criticized for their factual inaccuracies, the use of these journalistic and nonfictional outlets represents a relatively new mechanism for promoting popular and long-standing beliefs about immigration.

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