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 and report quoted in article about hate crimes
Los Angeles Times
July 3, 2019
 
A report issued earlier this year by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism noted that Los Angeles recorded its highest number of reported hate crimes in nearly a decade. That study showed a nearly 13% increase in 2018 over the year before.

Brian Levin, criminal justice professor and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said the increase in reported hate crimes against Jewish people and Latinos isn’t unexpected as heated political rhetoric and long-perpetuated stereotypes focused on select groups often can translate to a rise in crimes committed against them.

“Unfortunately, this is something we’ve seen quite often,” he said.

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, hate crimes against Muslims increased. Now, contentious debates over Latino immigration have thrust that group into a similar position, Levin said.

“It’s a little bit of reshuffling of victim choices based on the negative stereotypes that are the flavor of the month or the year in the divisive political cauldron that we’re in,” he said. “Different groups tend to have an ebb and flow according to various incremental as well as catalytic events.”

However, anti-Semitic rhetoric has been much more sustained and precipitous nationwide — and specifically in California, where there is a large population of Jewish people, Levin said.

Read the whole story at “Hate crimes targeting Jews and Latinos increased in California in 2018, report says.”

Antifa trying to become better known through violence, says CSUSB professor
The Epoch Times
July 4, 2019
 
Brian Levin, criminal justice professor and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said that Antifa, a far-left extremist group that was seen on June 30 beating three men in Portland, Oregon, is trying to become better known in part through violence.

“What they’re trying to do now is not only become prominent through violence at these high-profile rallies,” he said, “but also to reach out through small meetings and through social networking to cultivate disenfranchised progressives who heretofore were peaceful.”

Read the whole story at “After Antifa Violence, Anti-Mask Law Should Be Passed: Portland Police Chief.”

CSUSB professor quoted about conservative journalist who was recently attacked
The Independent
July 3, 2019
 
Brian Levin, criminal justice professor and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, was quoted about conservative journalist Angy Ngo, who was attacked in Portland, Oregon by anti-fascist protestors.

“He’s a political pundit who certainly makes the most out of his conflicts, which sometimes turn violent on him,” said Levin.

“But to his credit, I’ve never seen him be the physical aggressor in the posts that he’s made generally.”

Read the whole story at “Portland mayor faces impeachment calls after antifa assault and milkshaking of right-wing blogger Andy Ngo.”

These news clips  and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines” at inside.csusb.edu.