Hate Crimes Against Latinos Rise 47 Percent in California

​The year 2010 saw a marked uptick in hate crimes against Latinos statewide, according to newly released statistics from the California Attorney General's office.

Attorney General Kamala Harris' annual report on hate crimes -- incidents in which victims are targeted because of their ethnicity, sexual preferences, or religious beliefs -- showed that hate crimes as a whole held at a steady level. The number of such incidents rose from 1,100 in 2009 to 1,107 in 2010.

However, hate crimes against Latinos increased from 81 in 2009 to 119 in 2010, a 46.9-percent jump.

The report does not explain potential factors behind this trend. "We just compile the reports, we don't really opine" on the underlying causes for hate-crime figures, said Lynda Gledhill, spokesperson for the attorney general's office.

Hate crimes based on race, ethnicity, or nationality are the most common type of hate crime, accounting for about 60 percent of the total, according to the report. Hate crimes related to sexual orientation are the second most common kind, making up 25 percent of incidents.

The rise in anti-Latino hate crime was accompanied by drops in other types. In 2010, anti-gay hate crimes decreased by about 11 percent, anti-black crimes decreased by 14 percent, and anti-Jewish crimes decreased by 20 percent.

San Francisco was home to 67 hate-crime incidents in 2010, compared to 72 in Alameda County and 44 in Santa Clara County.

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