Several nonprofit organizations, led by the Community Alliance in Fresno, California, hosted a day-long Stand Up to Hate summit.
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By Sunita Sohrabji. Etnic Media Services.
FRESNO, California ? An increasing number of hate crimes are being reported in California, but convictions remain low, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Speaking to Ethnic Media Services on the sidelines of the United Against Hate summit at Fresno City College, Bonta noted that hate crimes are notoriously difficult to prosecute. ?They require proof of intent. By design, a hate crime must originate with the element of hate, which is often difficult to establish.
?Hate crimes are a complement to the sentence: they are considered something additional. Are you already charging with assault or battery? Bonta said, noting that a successful hate crime conviction could add 2 to 5 years to the sentence. He urged victims of a hate crime to gather as much evidence as possible and obtain details.
Low conviction rates
Last June, Bonta's office published the 2022 California Hate Crimes Report . The report noted that reported hate crimes in the state increased by 20.2%, from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022. Hate crimes targeting Black people remained the most prevalent and increased by 27.1% from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022, while anti-Asian crimes decreased by 43.3%, from 247 in 2021 to 140 in 2022.
Hate crimes in California involving sexual orientation bias increased by 29%, from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022.
But of the more than 2,100 hate crimes reported in the state, only 52 resulted in hate crime convictions.
The majority of reported hate crimes never made it to court: Only 456 cases were brought by elected district attorneys and city attorneys, according to the report.
Divisive political rhetoric
In his formal remarks at the summit, Bonta said hate was not a new phenomenon. ?It has been with us since time immemorial. We need to take care of each other, and commit to the proposition that hate against any of us is hate against all of us and is unacceptable. She said she feared for her mother, amid a rise in violent hate attacks against AAPI seniors.
The Attorney General was tacitly referring to the increase in hate crimes over the past seven months targeting both American Jews and Arab Americans, sparked by the war between Israel and Hamas. ?The horrible and unacceptable deaths of children and civilians that we are seeing in Palestine and Israel are unacceptable. And here they are affecting us?
The Trump factor
Bonta also indirectly addressed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has used highly divisive rhetoric during the election campaign. The candidate has repeatedly claimed that "immigrants are poisoning the blood of the United States," and has promised to reinstate its "Muslim ban."
?We have leaders who use the most toxic and xenophobic language. Do they license others?
Organizer Darren Miller asked Bonta a question about the anticipated chaos that will ensue if Trump doesn't win. ?One of the characteristics of a democracy is the peaceful transfer of power. Can't you claim victory when you win and embezzlement when you don't win? Bonta stated.
Distrust in the police
The United Against Hate summit on April 6 was organized by the Community Alliance newspaper in collaboration with the Fresno Center. The day-long event brought together more than 20 nonprofit organizations, which set up tables outside the venue to share their efforts to end hate. Mike Rhodes, executive director of the Community Alliance, told EMS that Fresno and surrounding cities were plagued by hate activity, much of which goes unreported.
"A lot of people here don't trust the police," Rhodes said, adding that when hate crimes and incidents are reported, they often go unnoticed. The Fresno Police Department set up an information table at the event.
The morning featured four simultaneous workshops, including tools for bystanders who witness a hate crime; what to do if you are a victim of a hate crime; and a debate on ?know your rights? run by the Council on American Islamic Relations. Amir Brooks, who chaired the workshop, recalled a recent event in which he was detained by police in the small town of Clovis, California.
Walking while black
Brooks is black and disabled. ?I was limping to the store. "Within a couple of minutes, the police stopped me, shone a light in my face and asked me a bunch of questions," he said.
?When I got to the store, I was stopped by two more police officers, who again questioned me and then compared my answers to those I had given to the other police officers.?
?As I walked home, the police followed me. “I had obviously been identified as a suspect for no reason,” Brooks said.
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This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the CaliFornia State
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