Hate Crimes Against Latinos Are on the Rise in California

[marmar]

Hate Crimes Against Latinos Are on the Rise in California


It’s no secret that the country’s demographics are rapidly changing. And while the shift toward becoming browner and younger is certainly transforming the political landscape, civil rights advocates also believe that it’s creating a dangerous environment for communities of color who they say are becoming the nation’s easiest scapegoats for a lagging economy.

That reality can be seen clearly in in the increasing number of hate crimes. Racially motivated attacks reached a startling number last year, as hate crimes against Latinos in California increased by nearly 50 percent. According to a recently released report by the state attorney general’s office, hate crimes against Latinos jumped from 81 to 119 between 2009 and 2010.

Information on the national number of hate crimes in 2010 will not be available until November, however the new statistics from California suggest that despite a slight dip in reported hate crimes around 2008, attacks are once again on the rise. Between 2003 and 2007, anti-Latino hate crimes rose by 40 percent, but the FBI reported decreases for the following two years. While national reports aren’t always perfect indicators, California’s accuracy in its findings is considered better than most other states’.

....(snip)....

While 2009 showed the lowest incidences of such occurrences in more than a decade, the sharp spike contrasts with the decreasing number of hate crimes against black, gay and, Jewish Californians. Anti-black hate crimes are still the most common in the state, making up for 29 percent of the 1,100 reported by California for 2010. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/651393/hate_crimes_against_latinos_are_on_the_rise_in_california/