In the wake of escalating violence, California has awarded $30.3 million to 12 organizations to aggressively address hate crimes by providing services to survivors and facilitating anti-hate prevention measures. A recent report by the Office of California Attorney General shows that hate crimes increased by 89 percent over the past decade. In particular, the report noted that anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 177 percent in 2021.
“It comes as no surprise that as the flames of hatred and bigotry have been stoked in our society, acts of cowardice and violence have increased at an alarming rate. In California, we are investing millions to prevent this hate from taking hold in our communities. We simply will not tolerate intolerance,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The announcement doubles down on the $14.3 million in grants to 80 organizations for prevention and intervention services to groups at risk of experiencing bias and hate crimes announced this past March.
Newsom last year also signed legislation establishing the Commission on the State of Hate, the first statewide commission to monitor and track hate crimes and recommend policy to the governor, state legislature, and state agencies.
“The latest round of grants is timely because the efforts to stop AAPI hate need resources now more than ever. The latest statistics show hate crime increased 33 percent in California last year, highlighting the need for more state investment in the Asian American Pacific Islander community,” said Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). “This new funding will be impactful because it will work towards creating a safer environment and providing help to victims.”
These grants will bolster local services to prevent hate crimes from happening in the first place and support those who are victims of hate crime:
• Direct services such as mental health and complementary health, wellness, and community healing, legal assistance, navigation, and case management;
• Prevention services to deepen understanding and empathy, youth development, senior safety and ambassador/escort programs, individual and community safety planning, bystander training and other de-escalation techniques;
• Intervention services for outreach and training on the elements of hate incidents and hate crimes, services for survivors, and community-centered alternative approaches to repair harm from hate incidents and hate crimes.
Selected organizations with a demonstrated track record of anti-hate work with priority populations were invited to apply for larger funding awards. A complete list of grantees announced in partnership with CAPIAA and the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (APILC) can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y5ddjp83.
The grant funding has been made available over the next three years, from August 1 through July 31, 2025, to continue to support anti-hate efforts.
Additional information on these efforts can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2vx7xdf2.
#Stopthehate #CDSS
This article is a part of a series of articles for Our Weekly’s #StopTheHate campaign and is supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
