California report: Good news, bad news in the fight against hate crimes.

Anti-Asian hate crimes in California dropped from 247 in 2021 to 140 in 2022, according to a report released by the Attorney General on June 27. However, the numbers are still “very high” when compared to the years before COVID-19.

Overall, reported hate crime events in California increased 20.2% from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022.

 As a point of comparison, there were 19 anti-Asian hate crimes in 2014 and 2015, and 35 or less in all but one year between 2013 and 2018, as per the Los Angeles Times. No hate crimes had been reported against Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders in 2022.

“This report is a stark reminder that there is still much work to be done to combat hate in our state," said California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, at a June 27 press conference.

Although anti-Asian hate crime events saw a decrease, but Bonta said there were still 140 reports for the year, marking an “all-time high post-pandemic for anti-Asian hate crimes.”

Asian American community advocates believe the drop in anti-Asian hate crimes is due to Asian American victims' reluctance report hate crime events.

"We know that hate crimes in general are significantly underreported, and Asian and other immigrants are particularly reluctant to seek law enforcement or public attention when they have been victimized," Paul Estuar, litigation director with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, told the LA Times.

“In the past several years, we've witnessed national rhetoric get more heated, more polarizing, more divisive, more extreme. And while we like to think that California would be and should be the exception, hate — unfortunately, it has no borders,” Bonta said. "Even California is not immune."

When Bonta became California's Attorney General in 2021, he made fighting hate crimes one of his top priorities. He said as a Filipino American, the fight is personal.

"As an Asian American, as during this time of hate against our community, my community ... I feel the duty, obligation, responsibility, to step up and step in to take a leadership role."

This report covers the year 2021 and 2022.

Black people remain the most prevalent and increased 27.1% from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022, while reported anti-Asian hate crime events decreased by 43.3% from 247 in 2021 to 140 in 2022, and reported hate crime events involving a sexual orientation bias increased, rising 29% from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022. 

Hate crimes are distinct from hate incidents, which are actions or behaviors motivated by hate that may be protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. 

Examples of hate incidents include name-calling, insults, and distributing hate material in public places. If a hate incident starts to threaten a person or property, it may become a hate crime. 

Bonta wants all the of state's law enforcement agencies report hate crimes and emphasized this in the AG report.

Last Tuesday, Bonta also issued an updated Law Enforcement Bulletin to all district attorneys, chiefs of police, sheriffs, and state law enforcement agencies with an updated summary of the multiple California criminal laws that prohibit hate crimes or provide enhanced penalties for specified hate-related acts, as well as guidance related to the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. The Attorney General continues to convene law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations at the local level across the state to help increase awareness around available resources and strengthen responses to hate crime in California.

Some of the other key findings from the 2022 Hate Crime in California Report include:

•  Overall, reported hate crime events increased 20.2% from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022. A hate crime event is a single occurrence but may involve more than one hate crime offense. For example, a person may be threatened and assaulted at the same time; this would involve multiple hate crime offenses within the same hate crime event.
• 2,589 hate crime offenses were reported in California, increasing by 16.6% from 2021.
• Hate crime events motivated by a sexual orientation bias increased 29% from 303 in 2021 to 391 in 2022.
• Anti-Black or African American bias events increased 27.1% from 513 in 2021 to 652 in 2022.
• Anti-Hispanic bias crimes rose from 197 in 2021 to 210 in 2022.
• Anti-Jewish bias events increased 24.3% from 152 in 2021 to 189 in 2022.
• Anti-Protestant bias events rose from 2 in 2021 to 12 in 2022.
• Anti-Islamic (Muslim) bias crimes rose from 18 in 2021 to 25 in 2022.
• Anti-transgender bias events increased from 38 in 2021 to 59 in 2022.
• Anti-gay (male) bias events increased 28.4% from 211 in 2021 to 271 in 2022
• Anti-lesbian bias crimes rose from 27 in 2021 to 33 in 2022.
• From 2021 to 2022, the number of hate crimes referred for prosecution increased 5.9% from 610 in 2021 to 647 in 2022. Of the 647 hate crimes that were referred for prosecution, 456 cases were filed by district attorneys and elected city attorneys. Of the 122 cases with a disposition available for this report, 43.4% were hate crime convictions and 45.9% were other convictions

"An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us," said Bonta in an earlier interview. "The alarming increases in crimes committed against Black, LGBTQ+ and Jewish people for the second year in a row illustrates the need for our communities to join together unified against hate. It takes all of us working together to combat extremism and foster a safe and inclusive environment for all Californians. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand united — there is no place for hate in California.”

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Members of the public are encouraged to explore the most recent hate crime data on OpenJustice. 

If you believe you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime, notify local law enforcement and consider taking the following steps: 

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911 and if needed, seek medical attention.
• Write down the exact words that were used and take note of any other relevant facts.
• If safe to do so, save all evidence and take photos.
• Get the contact information for other victims and witnesses.
• Reach out to community organizations in your area that deal with hate crimes or incidents.

The full 2022 Hate Crime in California report is available for review here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.