Hate Crimes
Unfortunately, hate crimes continue to threaten the safety of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and other vulnerable communities. AACRE supports policies that protect the rights of hate crime survivors and address the root causes of discrimination against disenfranchised communities.
According to the California Attorney General’s office, 1,149 hate incidents against Asian Americans were reported between 1995 and 2004. Given widespread underreporting of hate crimes, the actual number of racially motivated attacks against APIAs is much higher. One study by the Asian American Justice Center found that, on average, 35% more hate crimes perpetrated against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans than officially reported to the California Attorney General. Furthermore, California is experiencing an increase in the number of hate and bias related incidents involving youth. There are regular reports of alarming incidents of racial tensions and violent targetting of LGBT youth and youth of color.
In light of the increasing number of hate incidents involving youth, AACRE supports initiatives that address bias motivated incidents in schools. Such initiatives include obtaining more comprehensive data collection regarding hate incidents amongst youth, advocating for resources for teachers and students to respond responsibly to hate incidents, and supporting curricula which addresses bias-motivated violence.
In 2007, AACRE and Equality California are co-sponsoring AB 606 (Levine) to ensure all schools are safe places to learn.
See AACRE Agenda for positions AACRE is taking on important legislation.