Leaders representing diverse, victimized communities urged California not to end its funding for initiatives aiming to combat hate crimes.
“If there is ever a time when we need support, it is now,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the AAPI Equity Alliance. “We have an administration that is openly anti-immigrant, anti-Asian anti-Latino, anti-Black and they are using their power against our communities in multitude ways. Stop the Hate Program is one way we can fight back.”
Kulkarni criticized Congress for largely abdicating its responsibilities, allowing the current administration to dismantle government institutions and scapegoat immigrants for the nation’s problems.
“It is absolutely necessary to re-fund the program to benefit the lives of millions of Californians,” she said.
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act was passed in 2020 due to a surge in hate crimes targeting the Asian community during the pandemic. In 2021, 173 community-based organizations and ethnic media received grant funding from the state for initiatives seeking to inform the public about hate crimes and incidents. A total of $91 million was allocated, with $5 million carved out for ethnic media.
Funding for media ended at the end of 2024, and funding for CBOs will end this year.
Hate Crimes Surge in LA
According to the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, hate crimes dramatically increased 45% from 930 in 2022 to 1,350 in 2023. This represents the largest spike in the history of this report and surpasses the 1,031 hate crimes from 2001 when the Sept. 11th attacks occurred.
Breaking down the numbers, the 2023 report revealed a disturbing increase in hate crimes for all groups, including transgenders, Asians, Latinos, Jews, African-Americans, and LGBTQ. Also noted are the 209 crimes linked to White supremacist ideology, the highest figure ever recorded.
Robin Toma, Executive Director of LACCHR, stated that these figures are alarming as they are the agency’s highest reporting levels of hate crimes in over 40 years.
“It’s not against any particular group, but rather all the groups that, year after year, are the most affected by hate crimes in our county: African-Americans, Latinos (who also receive the majority of crimes with hostility expressed against immigrants), Jews, and gays and lesbians (LGBTQ+), especially transgender women,” he said.
“Economic, social, and political chaos, daily news of tariffs, an unstable economy, and the federal focus on immigrants, all create conditions that fuel pre-existing anti-immigrant prejudices,” said Toma.
“It’s so important to have everyone’s participation, especially nonprofit community groups. Without them, it will be difficult to overcome hate. We have the power to be a leader in reducing hate crimes because we have a system for knowing where hate crimes are occurring, with the support and activism of everyone—schools, businesses, residents, parks, street vendors, and churches,” he said.
Black and Brown People Not Welcome
Rick Callender, a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, addressed the concerning increase in hate crimes against African Americans and Latinos. He noted that these incidents are particularly prevalent in schools: 10 were reported in March alone.
With the dismantling of many federal government institutions, it will be more challenging to rely on the Department of Justice to investigate hate crimes, said Callender. Community groups will need to take the initiative to combat hatred and safeguard their communities.
If California decides to cut the Stop the Hate Program “It is going to be a significant setback in our ability to serve the people better. Our legal redress program is 100% dependent on these funds. Our youth leadership program and the Ethnic Media collaboration depends on it also. This is an investment we cannot roll back,” said Callender.
We Are Not Valued
Bamby Salcedo, founder of the TransLatin@ Coalition, received news that her state funding might not be renewed. This occurred shortly after she attended a March 14 press conference, where she denounced the Los Angeles police for the death of her friend Linda Becerra.
“Essentially, what they’re telling us is that our community is worthless,” explained Salcedo, who emphasized that the risks of danger for the trans community include having to be wary of law enforcement, who often lack the necessary training to deal with a trans woman who is depressed.
She chastised the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, which eliminate many rights and protections the transgender community has long fought for. State funding has been instrumental in providing trans people with physical and psychological recovery, as well as education about their rights and legal aid, according to Salcedo.
The transgender community in Los Angeles County has been severely impacted by hate crimes, which saw a 125% increase in 2023. Alarmingly, 97% of these crimes were violent, and some resulted in fatalities, according to recent figures.
‘Dehumanize and Criminalize’
Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for CHIRLA, a prominent Latino immigrant rights organization in Los Angeles, denounced the far-right and anti-immigrant officials for perpetuating the racist and xenophobic narrative: that America is under siege by immigrants.
“The ‘invasion’ rhetoric is so pervasive that it has turned violent in some places,” explained Cabrera. “The president often uses his bully pulpit to attack, dehumanize, and criminalize immigrants which may lead to some believing it is ok to harm, hurt, or attack immigrants verbally or physically.”
Recently, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and has been a U.S. citizen for decades, was attacked as an undocumented immigrant by the National Republican Congressional Committee. This example highlights the problem that even long-standing legislators are not immune to hate rhetoric attacks.
Cabrera explained that when powerful individuals promote harmful rhetoric against immigrants, it can embolden others to carry out unprovoked attacks against them.
More Vulnerable
A middle-aged man allegedly paced aggressively around a SoulCycle fitness studio in Brentwood on April 2nd and yelled angry statements objecting to a wall display featuring prominent Middle Eastern figures. This information was reported by The Greater Los Angeles Council on American-Islamic Relations.
In another incident, a man is being investigated by the Morgan Hill Police for allegedly harassing and physically attacking an elderly Muslim man on March 7. During the attack, the man reportedly made Islamophobic remarks, including references to Palestine and Hamas. He is also accused of verbally assaulting the man’s daughter and other worshippers.
According to CAIR’s national data, in 2024 the organization received 8,658 complaints, including 1,800 in California. This number marks the highest number of complaints CAIR has recorded since its first civil rights report in 1996.
Amr Shabaik, senior civil rights managing attorney for CAIR-LA, said he was alarmed to hear that funding would end this year, even as his community are targeted for attacks.
“This is something that has to be prioritized in the state budget, especially when we have this president every single day talking and somehow activating those extreme groups with his rhetoric,” he said.
“If we are cutting funding to fight these types of crimes, it sends a message also in California that we are not valued, that we aren’t deemed as important enough to continue the funding,” he added.
Under-Reporting
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that historically hate crimes have been underreported. “Unfortunately, we can’t take action on crimes we’re unaware of, which is why it’s crucial for individuals and organizations to report these incidents so that we can address them. Without these reports, we don’t know what’s happening out there. That’s why it’s so important to have organizations that protect and support victims, alongside the work that we do.”
Bonta emphasized the importance of supporting and raising the voices of those affected by hate speech, especially in times when such rhetoric is widespread.
“By limiting media and organizations from reporting and providing support for victims of hate crimes, we move to silence the truth, deny victims justice, and amplify the very thing that threatens our social fabric,” he said. “It is crucial for us to not only protect the rights of our communities, but also ensure that we are combating hate from every angle by not only prioritizing accountability and awareness but also enforcement.”
The Attorney General underlined that in light of the president’s hateful and xenophobic rhetoric, he expects a rise in hate crimes targeting marginalized communities. His office has reissued guidance to ensure that law enforcement fully understands California’s hate crime laws, which include crimes where the victim is targeted because of their actual or perceived nationality, including immigration and citizenship status.
