L.A. County fights back against
hate crimes
By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

After the Sept. 11 attacks on America, hate crimes in Los Angeles County, particularly those against Muslims or Middle Eastern citizens, have increased substantially and the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) has taken action. The LACCHR conducted a news conference last week and confirmed that hate crimes increased across the Southland after Sept. 11.

LACCHR officials said that 169 hate crime reports were submitted to law enforcement and other groups. Reports included acts of vandalism and arson, including homicide and bomb threats.

Many victims were misidentified as Arabs or other Middle Easterners. Perpetrators made faulty assumptions that the subjects were Arab or Muslim because of their appearance or dress. Southeast Asians, Latinos, Iranians, Armenians, Jews, Africans and other newcomer immigrants were mistakenly targeted.

There were also reports of discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. And some airline passengers who

"Though lesser in frequency, hate crimes are still being reported," said LACCHR president Susanne Cumming.

"The post 9/11 crisis," said LACCHR executive director Robin Toma, "has led to widespread fear among members of targeted communities and desperate cries for information and assistance. The commission has long been fighting hate acts and promoting public safety," she said.

LACCHR recently launched a public education campaign, ("No Haters Here") that will address human relations’ issues targeting youth. And a new information line was opened as a resource for victims of hate and discrimination.

The county of Los Angeles, according to L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, gave $284,000, (part of the county’s security action plan) to LACCHR in the weeks that followed Sept. 11 to fight back against hate crimes. This money helped create the hate crime information line and is going toward "No Haters Here."

In addition, Burke said, free anti-hate posters and bookmarks, which are especially designed for teens, are being distributed.

"We recognize that youth are particularly vulnerable to acts of hatred by fellow students," Burke said, "and that they also can be powerful agents for change." This is only the beginning of this campaign, she said.

Other county departments, such as the Department of Community and Senior Services, are helping to provide staffing assistance for the information line, Burke said.

The county will fund the creation of a new database that will enable LACCHR to monitor hate crimes so that resources can be mobilized.

Actresses Patricia Arquette and Mary Louis Parker have also started an anti-hate message campaign in conjunction with LACCHR. They rallied other celebrities, including Ben Stiller, Lucy Liu, Whoopi Goldberg and Benicio Del Toro, and made six public service announcements that will air on radio.

For more information, call Ava Gutierrez at (213) 974-7654.