Decline in Reports of Ethnic Harassment in Orange County, CA

May 16, 2003

Source: Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-relations16may16,0,739026.story

On May 16, 2003 the Los Angeles Times reported that "Orange County authorities recorded a steep decline in reports of alleged ethnic harassment, reversing last year's post-9/11 surge in anti-Arab bigotry, according to a report by the Orange County Human Relations Commission released Thursday... In the last year, according to the report, 124 people said they were targeted by acts of bigotry, down from 181 the previous year... More acts of alleged bigotry were reported by Jews and African Americans than any other group, including Middle Easterners and Muslims, the report said... Jews reported being victims of bigotry 33 times last year, African Americans 24 times. Gays and lesbians reported 19 incidents, Middle Easterners 15 and Latinos eight. Eight white residents and four Asians or Pacific Islanders also reported that they were victimized... Native Americans and Jehovah's Witnesses each reported one incident."