48% Increase in Hate

A bit of news from the Southern Poverty Law Center:

"Racism is a serious problem in America. We've identified 888 organized hate groups — a staggering 48% increase since 2000."

I still meet people that tell me that racism and other forms of hate are not a serious issue in the U.S. any more. Go figure. Listening to the media recently, especially with coverage of the Presidential campaign, it would appear as if race is the mildest of issues in Presidential politics, or that somehow we've entered a post-racial period in U.S. politics.

And of course, it is not all about race. These hate groups are pretty diverse in their hating, displaying particular animosity toward homosexuals, jewish folks, African Americans, immigrants... you name it.

48% increase. To what do we assign that increase? Many claim that it is the result of the anti-immigrant discourse we've seen in the last few years. Goodness knows I've encountered enough nativism. Still, the hate is far more pronounced than that. And yet, the dominant narrative in the U.S. is about how we are a welcoming, tolerant, forgiving, redeemed nation when it comes to our past and our current attitudes. Forgive me if I don't subscribe to that thesis.

I know it is difficult for some to realize the extent to which such numbers make a difference in the lives of those who find themselves targets of that hate, but I feel it to my bones and, as long as I don't open my mouth I can usually "pass" for non-Latino (given that some folks have an idea of what a Latino/a is supposed to look like). So, as I travel across the U.S. this Summer, guess what? This issue will be a predominant one in my mind. Oh, I try to be mindful, and I try to be optimistic, and I will practice every day with this particular concern. But I've already told my wife that I am not keen on spending the night in some places, and I certainly will scrutinize our route and potential stops. This is not paranoia, in my world, my experience, and that of family and friends, we call it safety.

Comments

[Joseph Holmes]

Y'know... the last part of this post was a breath of fresh air. I remember going with an ex-boyfriend of mine to camp in the upstate of SC, and we passed a house that had a little family of mannequins dressed in KKK garb on their front lawn, and he chastised me for being so closed minded that I spent 3/4 of the night begging him to leave and take me home. "It's just a religion... they have beliefs which some disagree with, but that's their right, you shouldn't be so judgmental"... as an Asian American Homosexual, I couldn't make him understand that (to paraphrase you) it wasn't judgmental, it was survival instincts.

[Nacho]

Hey, Joseph? Thanks for posting. Yes, I read you loud and clear. I've been with folks who just cannot relate to some of these issues, and it is plain challenging to get them to understand my concerns in a visceral way.

Thanks for posting!

N