Honduran LGBTQ Activist
(Photo : REUTERS)

According to the Los Angeles Times, the number of hate crimes in recent years appears to be decreasing, but there is possibly more than meets the eye. Authorities revealed that crimes targeting latinos actually increased by as much as 16 percent since 2016. The other victims of surging hates crimes are members of the LGBT community.

The spike in crime rate may have been an indirect result of the crackdown on immigrants by the Trump administration. However, the president has denied accusations that hate groups have become more prevalent during his term, although he has often posted controversial matters on Twitter, such as memes that can be considered anti-Muslim or anti-Jewish. The incidents of property crimes, or vandalism have gone down. 

Last year, hate crimes were at an all-time high in 16 years. Latinos were often on the wrong end of these incidents. This violence against people, which is fueled by bias and prejudice, is supposedly on the upswing. However, authorities fear the statistics do not reflect the real magnitude of hate crimes, The New York Times reported. Unfortunately, local police are not required to report hate crimes to the FBI and victims do not usually file a case. 

In August, a mass shooting occurred at a Walmart shopping center in El Paso, Texas that claimed the lives of 22 people. Authorities claim it was a deliberate attack on Mexicans, which the suspect, Patrick Crusius, later confirmed in a confession. Crusius allegedly planned his attack and even posted on social media platform 8chan, about his plans to inflict pain and terror to Mexicans as "a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas."

The shooting spree prompted elected officials to once again discuss or revise gun laws. It is interesting to note that all three major cities in the U.S., New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, reported a spike in hate crimes. On the other hand, zero cases were reported in Alabama or Wyoming.

Latinos are beginning to feel unsafe in their everyday lives. A Facebook post by Ricardo Castillo, a gentleman of Puerto Rican descent, went viral. Mr. Castillo manages a Burger King in Florida, and experienced an extremely unfortunate event while working. 

NBC News reported that Mr. Castillo was harrassed and verbally abused by two customers after they heard him speaking spanish. According to the report, Mr. Castillo asked the women to leave. He added that he could not believe racism still exists in this day and age. On the other hand, Burger King stands by its employee and vows not to tolerate such acts in all its restaurants. "We expect employees and guests to treat each other with respect," comments Dori Alvareza, a representative from the burger chain store. 

Members of the community are also doing their part as to not attract unnecessary attention and hate. The El Paso shooter claims he targeted the Latino and Hispanics and this worries Lidia Carrillo, who moved to California legally from Mexico. She advises her daughter never to wear any shirt that has anything that can be related to Mexico on it. For families and members of the community, it is better to be safe than sorry.