It’s natural when watching historical representations of hate crimes and atrocities in movies and on TV or reading about them in books to think, “It was so obvious what was going on. Why wasn’t something done to stop it?” Well, that’s the crystalline vision of hindsight talking.
But what if something similar happened today, right before your eyes? And what if it were far more subtle, though no less heinous than, say, a physical assault? Would you recognize the transgression for what it is? Would you have the guts to say or do something to try to stop it, and would you know your legal standing to do so?
With hate crimes on the rise against the Asian American and Pacific Islander, African American, LGBTQ and other communities across the county, a program called Know Your Rights & Bystander Intervention Training Series, hosted* by the LA Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department and co-sponsored** by PESA and other community groups, aims to educate citizens on this very subject. Presented live via Zoom on the last Tuesday of every month through October, the event features experts discussing how to respond whether you’re a victim or a witness to a hate crime or incident (there’s a difference, as you’ll learn), and concludes with a Q&A session during which participants can ask follow-up questions.
A few of the topics covered in the July 27 event:
“What is the Difference Between a Hate Crime and a Hate Incident?” presented by officer Blake Chow, Deputy Chief of the LAPD.
“Rights and Resources for Victims of Hate and Discrimination,” presented by Adrian Roxas, victims’ rights attorney, former LA County Deputy District Attorney and president-elect of the Philippine American Bar Association.
“SHADES: Stop Hate and Delinquency by Empowering Students,” presented BY the Hon. David S. Wesley, founder of the SHADES and Teen Court programs.
“Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace,” presented by Abigail Zelensky, attorney, president of the Philippine-American Bar Association and a commissioner on the L.A. Commission on Civil Rights.
Similar topics will be presented in upcoming events, which are free and open to the public, but participants must register in advance at bit.ly/stophatetrainings to receive a Zoom invitation.
“It’s easy in the abstract for someone to assume they would do the right thing and help out when witnessing a hate crime or hate incident or being the victim of one,” says Steve Root, communications consultant for PESA. “But being in the heat of the moment, under pressure and lacking preparedness as to how to properly respond may prevent them from doing so. This program can provide the tools, and therefore the confidence, to act. As the saying goes, if you see something, say something.” ■
*Hosted by Department of Public Works, LAPD, Philippine-American Bar Association
**Co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, Japanese American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance