The California Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia convened on June 25, 2025, to address the alarming trends in hate crimes across the state. The meeting highlighted significant findings from the California Department of Justice and the California Commission on the State of Hate, revealing a troubling increase in hate-related incidents.

Historically, hate crime data has been underreported, with the Department of Justice acknowledging that the actual number of hate crimes is likely much higher than reported figures. The data indicates that hate crimes peaked in 2001 with 2,261 events, while 2014 recorded the lowest at 758 events. Notably, between 2020 and 2021, there was a staggering 32.6% increase in hate crimes, with anti-Black incidents consistently representing the highest percentage of reported hate crimes.

In 2024, anti-Black events accounted for 24.4% of all hate crimes, followed by anti-Jewish events at 15.3% and anti-gay events at 12%. The meeting underscored that anti-Asian hate crimes had also surged, particularly in 2021, where they constituted 14% of reported incidents. Despite an overall decline in crime rates in California, the rise in hate crimes remains a significant concern.

Professor Brian Levin, chair of the California Commission on the State of Hate, presented findings from a survey conducted in partnership with UCLA, which revealed that approximately 2.6 million Californians experienced at least one act of hate in a year. This included over half a million individuals who faced potentially criminal hate incidents, highlighting a stark discrepancy between reported data and actual experiences of hate.

The commission outlined three strategic priorities: providing annual reports on hate activity, enhancing resources for targeted communities, and developing recommendations to prevent hate. Key recommendations included establishing a permanent data infrastructure to measure hate incidents, mandatory hate crime training for law enforcement, and ongoing investments in community resources.

The committee emphasized the importance of political leadership in combating hate, noting that well-crafted public statements can shift societal attitudes away from hate and violence. The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration among stakeholders to address and mitigate the impacts of hate in California.