NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.
CSUSB professor writes on ‘How ‘cancel culture’ became an issue for young Republicans
FiveThirtyEight
March 22, 2021
Meredith Conroy, an associate professor of political science at California State University, San Bernardino, wrote in column: “Many Americans don’t have an opinion about ‘cancel culture’ — or even know what it is. Younger Americans tend to be more familiar with the term at this point, though this could change given how much the GOP is making it a part of its political playbook.
“And it’s Republicans under the age of 45 who are really concerned about ‘cancel culture.’”
Read the complete article at “How ‘cancel culture’ became an issue for young Republicans.”
CSUSB professor discusses latest developments regarding the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement
Press TV
March 20, 2021
David Yaghoubian, CSUSB professor of history, was interviewed for a segment about
Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged the three European parties (France, Germany and Great Britain) to the 2015 nuclear deal to assume their regarding the agreement instead of trying to appease Israel, which is not a signatory to the agreement. The comments were made after French President Emmanuel Macron met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, where the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was discussed. “Macron accused Tehran of continuing what he called violations of the nuclear agreement and urged Iran to act ‘in a responsible way,’” the news segment reported.
The U.S. was an original signatory to the agreement, but former President Donald Trump pulled the country out of the deal in May 2018, saying he wanted to renegotiate a strong agreement, and imposed sanctions on Iran to get it to reopen the talks. The administration of President Joe Biden has signaled it wants to reenter the agreement, but that has been complicated by the sanctions.
Yaghoubian said talk of bringing the Israeli government into the talks about the JCPOA “is likely how this deal is going to be killed off. The little bit of optimism that I maintained through December and January … is unfortunately just evaporating at this point.”Watch the segment at “Zarif: E3 must act responsibly on Iran deal instead of trying to appease Israel.”
CSUSB professor remembers civil rights leader Alvin Sykes
Kansas City StarMarch 21, 2021
Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSUSB, was interviewed for an article about Alvin Sykes, a civil rights legend and longtime Kansas City community activist who was also served the center as a board member. Sykes died March 19 at the age of 64.
“He’s a national treasure,” Levin. “His talents and his heart saw no boundaries.”
Levin said Sykes’ work reverberated across the country.
“He not only did the job but his joy was so infectious that it changed the nation,” Levin said.
Read the complete article at “KC activist Alvin Sykes remembered: Lifelong fight for justice ‘changed the nation.’”
Adding hate crime charge to Atlanta-area mass shooting case may be difficult to prosecute, CSUSB professor says
The Sun/Southern California News Group
March 19, 2021
As the investigation of the March 16 mass shooting in Atlanta continues, officials in Georgia may opt to prosecute the shootings as murders rather than hate crimes, said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism in Cal State San Bernardino and a former New York City police officer.
“Many of us feel in our hearts that race played a role,” he said. “But when you get into a courtroom, the law doesn’t respond to feelings, but to evidentiary thresholds. Hate crimes are difficult to prosecute even when there are overt messages from the perpetrators.”
Many prosecutors, even those who believe a crime meets the definition of a hate crime, don’t want to jeopardize a case by introducing more complexities, Levin said.
“It shows the limits of the law.”
Read the complete article at “Atlanta shootings shed light on sexualization of Asian women.”
CSUSB professor interviewed about expanding hate crime protections
Los Angeles Times
March 20, 2021
As attention is being focused on the increase of violence directed at Asian Americans, including the March 16 mass shooting in Georgia, Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, said people should take advantage of the momentum by demanding that state legislators support an expansion of the groups covered under hate crime laws in certain states that offer less protection.
“When there’s a tragedy — and there’s enough of a groundswell of revulsion and failure of the law — it produces some possible results, but only if those of us who are concerned sustain the effort,” he said.
Read the complete article at “‘I’m scared I won’t be believed’: Asians fight to have racist hate documented.”
CSUSB professor comments on how Atlanta-area shootings place spotlight on hate crime laws
Los Angeles Times
March 19, 2021
The deadly Atlanta-area spa shootings on March 16 have again raised questions about the complex history of hate crime laws and why, in many cases where attacks appear to be obvious bias crimes, police and prosecutors seem to move slowly in declaring racist or otherwise prejudicial motivations.
Data from 16 major city police departments compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino showed 2020 to be one of the worst years on record for anti-Asian hate crimes even as hate crimes dropped overall. The research center found that anti-Asian hate crimes increased 149% year to year, from 49 in 2019 to 122 in 2020.
“The country has come a very long way in how it treats hate crimes,” said Brian Levin, director of the Cal State center. “But there is an enormous gap over history with what victims say about the crimes against them, what the law considers to be a hate crime and what is actually reported to and by law enforcement.”
Read the complete article at “Atlanta-area spa shootings place spotlight on hate crime laws.”
Political rhetoric has an effect on hate crimes, CSUSB professor says
PoltiFact
March 19, 2021
The Poynter Institute’s political news website, in an article about the underreporting of hate crimes against Asian Americans, pointed to the work of the CSUSB Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism as one of the respected source of expertise.
“The center found anti‐Asian hate crimes rose from 49 crimes in 2019 to 122 in 2020, an increase of 149%. Researchers faulted negative stereotyping of Asians during the early rise of COVID-19 cases last spring for the first spike,” the article said.
“The spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans was even more glaring because overall hate crimes dropped 7% overall, amid pandemic-driven closures of businesses, schools and public gatherings.”
The report doesn’t mention former President Donald Trump. However, it does show that Google searches found spikes for racist terms such as "China virus" and "Kung Flu" spiked throughout 2020. Trump used those terms multiple times that year — including "China virus" as recently as a March 16 interview on Fox News, although there was nothing in his interview to indicate that he knew about the shootings that took place that evening in Georgia.
"Presidential statements have correlated both to increases and decreases in hate crime," said Brian Levin, director of the center which wrote the report. "It is notable that on March 23, (2020), when President Trump refrained from ethnic terms relating to the virus for a day and spoke of tolerance, there were no anti-Asian hate crimes in NYC in what otherwise was a historically bad month for hate crime."
Read the complete article at “Hate crimes against Asian Americans: What the numbers show, and don’t.”
CSUSB professor comments the call for tougher U.S. hate crime laws
Reuters
March 20, 2021
The killings of six women of Asian descent in Georgia this week have prompted fresh calls to pass hate crime laws in the handful of states without them and for law enforcement elsewhere to invoke protections already in place. And some think the laws need to be expanded to protect other victims, such as homeless people.
"We're seeing more types of people getting attacked, and some of them are not covered by hate crime laws," said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
A report by the center found that hate crimes against Asian Americans in 16 major U.S. cities rose by 149% from 2019 to 2020, a period when overall hate crimes dropped 7%.
Read the complete article at “Killings of Asian women renew push for tougher U.S. hate crime laws.”
The center's latest report on anti-Asian American hate crimes was also cited in the following:
'We will not go back': Vigils honoring Atlanta victims draw mourners across U.S.
NPR via KVCR
March 20, 2021
From Sacramento to Salt Lake City to Philadelphia, thousands gathered this weekend at vigils across the country with signs, candles, portraits and flowers grieving the eight victims of the March 16 shootings in Atlanta and crying out against anti-Asian racism.
The shootings came as many Asian Americans were already trying to draw attention to an increase in anti-Asian hate incidents and violence during the coronavirus pandemic. A recent study from California State University-San Bernardino found anti-Asian hate crimes rose in several large cities in 2020.
California schools, universities condemn anti-Asian attacks, offer support to students
EdSource
March 22, 2021
Anti-Asian hate crime increased in major cities from 2019 to 2020 while overall hate crime dropped, according to police reports collected by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.
Although most University of California and Cal State campuses say they haven’t received any formal reports of incidents targeting students, faculty or staff of Asian descent, many are offering programs to confront anti-Asian racism and xenophobia.
Hundreds rally in Carlsbad against rise of anti-Asian hate, violence
The Coast News Group (San Diego County)
March 21, 2021
A pair of North San Diego County high school students have rallied hundreds of people in response to a national spike in hate and violence directed against Asian Americans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans in the country’s largest cities have increased by 150%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
Vigil held in the Central Valley for victims of Atlanta spa shootings
KSEE/KGPE TV Fresno
March 20, 2021
The Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries and Hmong Innovating Politics Organization organized a community vigil on Saturday, March 20, to honor the eight people who were killed in the Atlanta spa shootings.
An analysis released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino revealed hate crimes against Asian people in 16 of America’s largest cities rose by nearly 150 percent in 2020.
Local Asian-American community on edge following deadly Atlanta shooting
Spectrum 1 News Hudson Valley, N.Y.
March 19, 2021
The Asian-American community in the Hudson Valley is on edge following the deadly shooting of eight people, including six Asian women, at three Atlanta area spas on Tuesday. A recent report from California State University San Bernardino found hate crimes against Asian-Americans rose about 150 percent in 2020.
Concord residents join nationwide rallies to stop Anti-Asian hate
Public News Service Concord, N.H.
March 22, 2021
Concord was one of many cities around the country to hold rallies this weekend, to honor the eight victims of last week's shootings at three Georgia spas.
Six of the people whose lives were taken were Asian women, and speakers urged elected officials to take action to stop hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by nearly 150% during the pandemic, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino.
Dozens show support for local AAPI community in wake of Atlanta shootings, increased violence
Fox 17 Grand Rapids, Mich.
March 20, 2021
People from all backgrounds stood in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in West Michigan on Saturday. The rally, held at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, was organized by the Grand Rapids Asian Pacific Foundation in light of a shooting in Atlanta on March 16 that killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent. It was one of several rallies held across the country.
A California State University San Bernardino study found hate crimes in total dropped seven percent last year, but hate crimes against Asians skyrocketed 150 percent in 16 U.S. cities during that time frame.
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