Hate crimes and incidents continue to rise in OC for seventh year

According to the latest Orange County hate crime report published by the OC Human Relations Commission, hate activity has continued to increase. Graphic by SUKHMAN SAHOTA, art director

Trigger warning: Mentions of hate crimes, hate incidents 

The total amount of hate crimes and incidents targeting marginalized communities in Orange County increased in the past year from 2020 to 2021, according to statistics from the newest hate crime report published by the Orange County Human Relations Committee.

Throughout 2021, 398 hate crimes and incidents were reported in Orange County — a 6% increase from the number of reports filed in last year’s report. 

Just under 100 hate crimes were reported in 2021, a 13% decrease from 2020 with 112 crimes. However, the number of hate incidents in Orange County reached 301 cases — a 14% increase from 2020, where 263 incidents had been reported.

“When we look at the last five years from 2017, the biggest trend has been the increase in LGBTQ+ hate, with it having increased by 2100% in the last five years, as well as race hate crimes having more than doubled,” said Don Han, the director of operations for the OC Human Relations Committee. “Even if you look at 2020 to now, Asian hate has significantly increased, especially now because of the pandemic and Asian stereotyping.”

According to the 2021 report, three factors were targeted specifically in relation to the hate crimes and incidents committed — religion, sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. Out of the 398 hate crimes and incidents reported, 21% centered around religion, 23% focused on sexual orientation and the bulk of the crimes and incidents tackled race and ethnicity at 56%.

“Hate crimes are multi-pronged, meaning there is not one single thing that works towards curbing hate. We have to really focus on the climate of what produces hate crimes in Orange County, specifically,” sociology professor Pete Simi said. “You have to deal with the climate and the underlying culture of Orange County in order to recognize the facets of the problem and then work on finding solutions.”

Many of the hate crimes and incidents that occurred in 2021 targeted the LGBTQ+ as well as the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. There were 22 hate crimes reported this year that were motivated by sexual orientation bias, resulting in an 83% increase from 2020. Ten reported hate crimes and 153 incidents were anti-Asian/Pacific Islander in 2021 as well, contributing to a 43% increase and a 164% increase, respectively, in crimes and incidents from 2020. 

Both Orange County and the state of California’s reports from 2021 showcase an increase in hate crimes and hate incidents — with this being the seventh year in a row of Orange County’s numbers continuing to rise. 

According to Han, since the pandemic began, hate crime and incident reports in Orange County have increased at a much quicker rate than ever seen before.

“As we attempt to emerge from the ashes, there is one other reality that begins to emerge before us — hate-motivated behavior and incidents continue to increase at a rapid pace,” Jo-Anne P. Matsuba, the Chair of the OC Human Relations Commission, said in the report. “This rise in hate-motivated behavior has not only been seen and felt in our home, but it mirrors what is happening across our nation.”

A hate crime, as defined by the OC report, is a crime against a person, group or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived social group, including disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Examples of hate crimes include graffiti or vandalization of one’s property or physical violence against an individual. 

A hate incident, by contrast, is an action or behavior motivated by one of the same factors, but is not a crime in part due to the First Amendment. Examples of hate incidents include yelling racial slurs, distributing non-threatening antisemitic flyers in a public place or holding up anti-LGBTQ posters at a parade or in public. 

Along with the hate crime reports published about Orange County, a similar report was created that showcased the number of hate crimes and incidents seen throughout the entire state of California in 2021. 

The overall hate crimes reported in California increased 32.6% from 2020 to 2021 and are at their highest reported level since 2001 — around 20 years ago. Hate crimes and incidents targeting the Black community remained the most prevalent in the state and increased 12.5% from 456 in 2020 to 513 in 2021. 

Anti-Asian hate crime events once again also jumped dramatically, rising 177.5% from 2020 to 2021. Crimes and incidents affecting the Hispanic and Latinx community also increased by 29.6% from 152 in 2020 to 197 in 2021. Reported hate crimes and incidents involving an individual’s sexual orientation also increased significantly in the state, rising 47.8% from 2020 to 2021.

“Today’s report undeniably shows that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated in the 2021 state report. “While there is no single solution, it’s up to all of us to heed the call, because when our communities feel empowered, they come forward. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand united — there is no place for hate in California.”

Last year, Attorney General Bonta also released a special report on anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, which offered important context and analysis regarding the recent increases in anti-Asian hate crime events. The Rafu Shimpo, a Japanese American newspaper based in Los Angeles, has also partnered with the California State Library to report on anti-Japanese and anti-Asian discrimination that has occurred in the state and the U.S since 1903. 

The OC Relations Commission is taking extra measures to address, prevent and respond to the increasing number of hate in the overall county. These measures consist of hate crime response and education programs, the Police-Community Reconciliation program to mediate resident disputes, creating community forums for all residents to attend and working to establish relations with diverse community groups in Orange County to understand their issues and concerns.

“We have far too many leaders nowadays engaging in hate speech, if not explicitly, then implicitly,” Simi said. “We need to be realistic here. If we don’t hold leaders accountable for promoting hate and hate speech, it will only end up increasing the likelihood of hate crimes and incidents nationwide.”

Orange County residents are able to call 211 to report any hate incidents or hate crimes in the county. The reporting process can also be completed online at hatecrime.211oc.org.