‘Don’t Let Anything Slide’ — California Commissioners Urge Reporting Hate

May 21, 2026

A new survey reveals that three million Californians, roughly one in ten residents, experienced at least one hate act during 2024, though officials believe the actual numbers are significantly higher since law enforcement data captures only about 3% of hate crime incidents. The California Commission on the State of Hate presented these findings at a civil rights summit, highlighting that race and skin color were cited as motivations in 55% of cases, while victims most commonly needed mental health support and physical safety assistance. The commission has developed 42 recommended strategies to address hate acts and partnered with UCLA to create comprehensive tracking data, revealing that adolescents witness hate at twice the rate of adults and that 83% of youth hate experiences occur at school.

Who is affected

Three million California adults and teenagers (9.4% statewide, 12.8% in San Francisco specifically)
People targeted based on race and skin color (55% of hate acts)
People targeted based on ancestry, national origin, or language (21%)
LGBTQ+ individuals targeted based on sexual orientation or gender identity (17%)
Black communities (highest rates in law enforcement data)
Transgender individuals (experiencing sharp national increases in hate crimes)
Latino communities (anti-Latino hate crimes up 18% in California from 2024 to 2025)
Adolescents aged 12-17 (35% witnessed hate, with 83% of their experiences occurring at school)
Miwok and other Native communities
Communities with distrust toward law enforcement

What action is being taken

The California Commission on the State of Hate is tracking and collecting data on hate incidents through 2031
CA vs. Hate operates a hotline that connects victims to support services
The commission is presenting data, training resources, and prevention recommendations at public forums
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research is maintaining an "AskCHIS" dashboard with aggregated hate incident data by county, demographic group, and year
The commission is investigating law enforcement responses to hate by interviewing victims across California
Some cases are being addressed through restorative justice approaches where perpetrators are educated by affected communities rather than fined

Why it matters

The massive gap between reported and actual hate incidents—with law enforcement capturing only 3% of hate crimes—reveals a severe underestimation of the problem and indicates that traditional response systems are failing communities. Hate crimes are at their highest levels in 34 years nationally, signaling a worsening crisis rather than improvement, with vulnerable populations including transgender individuals, Latino communities, and adolescents facing escalating threats to their safety and wellbeing. The normalization of hate acts means many victims don't report incidents or expect help, creating a cycle where patterns of harassment go unaddressed and communities remain unprotected. The connection between political rhetoric, discriminatory policies, and street-level hate acts demonstrates how systemic forces amplify individual acts of violence and discrimination. Without permanent funding beyond 2031, California risks losing critical data collection and prevention infrastructure at a time when comprehensive, evidence-based responses are most urgently needed.

What's next

The commission recommends establishing an ongoing funding stream to make hate prevention a permanent part of California's civil rights infrastructure beyond the current 2031 deadline
The commission advocates for implementing intervention models that address entire communities rather than just schools as isolated entities
Officials are pushing for shifting the burden from survivors to holding perpetrators accountable through non-punitive, restorative approaches
The commission continues working to improve school climate initiatives and public messaging campaigns

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint