New numbers: hate groups in U.S. growing
New numbers: hate groups in U.S. growing (Added: February 28, 2009)
The number of hate groups in the U.S. continues to grow with the country's immigrant population being the top targets of their hatred. (more)
The number of hate groups in the U.S. continues to grow with the country's immigrant population being the top targets of their hatred.
Published: February 28, 2009
The number of hate groups in the U.S. continues to grow with the country's immigrant population being the top targets of their hatred. The latest figures on hate groups have just been released by a legendary firm that monitors their activities.
Racial hatred was behind last July's murder of immigrant Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania and experts say it's behind the dramatic rise in hate groups, like neo-nazis, skinheads, and the klan.
Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center says "we've seen a long-term trend of about 7 or 8 years of these groups growing rather significantly. And I think that is almost entirely due to the exploitation of the immigration issue by these groups."
Since 2000, hate groups have grown by 54%.
The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama now says there are 926 hate groups, mainly in southern or border states, where mostly illegal, Latino immigrants end up.
John Amaya of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund says "they are being targeted because they're the "other" right now. Right now immigrants in particular seem to be the scapegoat for all the wrongs that are in this country."
The hate groups even blame the economic meltdown and the subprime mortgage mess on illegal immigrants.
The election of the country's first black president runs contrary to their racist philosophy, all of which doesn't bode well in trying to stem hate group growth.
Mark Potok said "we are seeing a kinda of "perfect storm" of factors that favor growth of these groups. Continuing non-white immigration, the worsening of the economy and of course the idea of a black man in the White House."
A perfect storm, the experts say, only knowledge and understanding can prevent.
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