In addition to examining homicide patterns among Mexican-Americans, the study compared those patterns to patterns displayed by non-Latino African-Americans and non-Latino whites in Phoenix for the same period. The Mexican-American homicide rate ranked between those of African-Americans (highest) and whites (lowest). Mexican-American homicides were predominantly intra-ethnic and male-on-male. Female Mexican-Americans, in the rare instances in which they killed, were likely to murder a male. Most Mexican-American victims were known to their assailants. Mexican-Americans' median income and poverty levels were between those of whites and African-Americans. The only structural factor in which Mexican-Americans did not rank between whites and African-Americans was in median years of education, in which Mexican-Americans placed lowest. Because the Mexican-American homicide rate was relatively high compared to the white rate, the structural conditions of poverty, low educational levels and discrimination may have been contributory factors. However, as the Mexican-American homicide rate was significantly below the rate for African-Americans, there may be important cultural differences that served to mediate the effects of poverty and inequality. Figure, tables, notes, references