May 24, 2021
On Monday May 24, 2021, the Rotary Club of Anaheim heard an important presentation from Mr. Don Han, Director of Operation, Orange County Human Relations.
Mr. Han is a local, having attended Valley High School in Santa Ana and Cal State University, Fullerton. He has been with Orange County Human Relations for 20 years. OC Human Relation’s mission is to foster mutual understanding among residents and eliminate prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination, in order to make Orange County a better place for ALL people to live, work, and do business. The company’s vision is ALL people have a right to live free from discrimination and violence.
Hate Crimes are a criminal act committed in whole or in part because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim: disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or associated with a person or group with one of more of these actual perceived characteristics.
Examples of hate crimes include assaults, theft, threats, criminal damage, destruction of property, and/or murder.
Hate incidents are a behavior that is motivated by hate or bias towards a person’s actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race, or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation but that is not criminal in nature. Typically, these behaviors are protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
Incidents of hate include verbal abuse (name-calling, offensive jokes), harassment, bullying or intimidation, hoax calls, abusive phone, or text messages, hate mail, online abuse (i.e., Facebook or Twitter), displaying or circulating discriminatory literature/posters.
The American Psychological Association recognizes that “this kind of attack takes place on two levels; not only is it an attack on one’s physical self, but it is also an attack on one’s very identity.”
If one is victimized or believes they are victim of a hate attack or hate incidents, there are various methods at one’s disposal. First call the authorities, if needed, obtain medical attention but keep all medical documentation. Leave all evidence in place; do not touch, remove, or clean up anything. Document what happened by: taking photographs of the evidence, writing down exactly what was said, particularly any words that indicate bias motivation, and other information that may be valuable. Get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of other victims or witnesses. If possible, write down a description of the perpetrator and their vehicle, and finally, call 714-480-6580 to report the occurrence to OC Human Relations.
By contacting OC Human Relations, they can confidentially or anonymously (if you choose) take your report, help report to law enforcement, and connect you with resources. OC Human Relations also offers mediation between neighbors, hate crime prevention, and professional development training on how to embrace non-exclusion.
Over the past 10 years, Hate Crimes have been on the rise. In 2015, the average number of reported hate crimes in OC was around 40. In 2018, there were 165 reported. Hate Crimes towards the Asian American community have been on the rise over the past year. In 2019, there were 4 cases of hate crimes against Asian Americans; in 2020, 40 cases have been reported in the OC alone.
As humans, we have come a long way, but we still have some way to go.
Thank you Don for the enlightening presentation.
Call the Confidential Hotline 714-480-6580 to report a Hate Crime or Incident
The Child Abuse Prevention Hotline is 800-207-4464 and locally 714-940-1000
