Is Latino Racism On The Rise?

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to believe that racism towards Latinos still exists in this day and age. But the sad truth is, it does and California's Attorney General, Kamala Harris, released some alarming statistics that prove it. Apparently, the state's anti-Hispanic hate crimes have increased by nearly 50 percent within the past two years.

That number is quite shocking, especially when you consider that the same report showed a major decline in the number of hate crimes against other prominent minority groups. So why have Latinos suddenly become the new target?

Many are saying it has to do with the anti-immigration movement and certain rhetoric coming from the mainstream media. The Huffington Post listed off names like CNN's Lou Dobbs and former Congressman Tom Tancredo as examples of well-known personalities who have helped fuel the hate.

Of course, none of the TV commentators have ever advocated violence against Latinos. In fact, it's still rather dumbfounding to hear how many California Hispanics were targeted in 2010 alone. The statistics showed that 199 Latinos were the victims of hate crimes that year (compared to 81 in 2009).

Attorney General Harris was adamant about prosecuting those responsible and making sure anyone caught committing such an act was severely punished.

"A crime that is motivated by hate is a crime against all people," she said. "We will monitor and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law."

And don't think California is the only culprit. In Boston, a local pub is being sued by the Attorney General's Office for refusing to serve Latino customers. Though a bar spokesperson has denied the charges, the case states that Hispanic and African-American patrons were asked to leave because they didn't "look like the type of people" the owners would know.

Amazingly, even a Virginia State Senate candidate is being accused of racism toward Latinos. Democrat Barbara Favola reportedly told her Hispanic opponent that he had "no base" in the primarily Anglo district where the race was being held.

Even though a lot of these anti-Latino stories can be overblown by the media, they pose an interesting question. Is there still a lot of racist sentiments toward the modern Hispanic community? And if so, what can be done to reverse it?

Have you ever been the victim of racism? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Barbara Favola, Blogger: Michael Lopez, California, Cultura, Hate Crimes, Kamala Harris, Politics, Racism