Despite a slight decline in the overall number of hate crimes reported statewide, incidents targeting Latinos and Jewish people in California surged last year, an uptick experts have blamed on vitriolic rhetoric over immigration and emboldened hate groups.
Anti-Semitic hate crimes surged 21%. There were 104 hate crimes against Jews reported in 2017. A year later, that number jumped to 126, according to a report from the California attorney general’s office released Tuesday.
Hate crimes against Latinos also grew, increasing about 18%. Law enforcement agencies across the state reported 149 hate crimes against Latinos in 2018, up from 126 the year prior, the report states.
The increases occur as hate crimes against African Americans, Muslims and gay men showed slight decreases statewide last year. Overall, the report notes a 2.5% decline in hate crimes in California in 2018.
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