Group to study hate crimes in the CNMI
A locally-chartered private organization has disclosed plans to undertake a study on hate crimes in the Northern Marianas.
Ayuda Network, Inc., an alliance of the Northern Mariana Human/Social Service Providers, is determined to measure the extent of crimes brought about by certain biases in the local setting through information gathering and intensive discussions.
“We have to be aware of the bias out there,” said Ayuda Network Inc. Executive Director Konrad Reyes.
According to Mr. Reyes, hate crimes especially in a multi-cultural territory like the CNMI is also an existing concern.
Widespread in the mainland, CNMI is also an extension of this serious social problem, said Mr. Reyes.
“Bigotry for example is very rampant here — Caucasians discriminating against Filipinos and vice versa. We aim to address this because it should not be tolerated,” added Mr. Reyes.
The network is targeting to tap resources and related studies which would help the community understand the root cause of such crimes and assess its effects.
The group is also scheduled to hold discussions not just on hate crimes but also on other relevant issues.
Hate crimes taken from the dictionary definition are various crimes motivated by hostility to the victim of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation). But the term doesn’t always carry a commonly understood meaning.
According to mainland-based non-profit organization which tracks hate crimes, there were over 500 hate groups operating in the US in 1998.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles tallies even more, monitoring over 2,100 hate sites on the Internet.
According to US Department of Justice’s Uniform Crime Reports, the number of hate crimes based on single-bias incidents totaled 4,321 in 1998.
Single-biases include those who exhibited prejudice over White, Blacks, American Indians/Alaskan natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and multi-racial groups.
The 1998 summary of hate crime statistics also revealed over 9,000 number of offenses based on multi-bias incidents which included discrimination over race, religion, and sexual orientation. (MM)
