California hate hotline records 180 acts of hate in first month of service

Andrew Sheeler
·4 min read
12

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

CALIFORNIA HATE HOTLINE RECORDS 180 ACTS OF HATE IN FIRST MONTH

One month after the California Civil Rights Department introduced its new hate hotline, the agency has recorded 180 reports from across the state.

“Make no mistake: Hate and discrimination remain a threat across the country,” Director Kevin Kish said in a statement. “However, here in California, you’re not alone in the face of hate.”

According to Kish, nearly half of those who reported hate acts accepted services from department staff, including help in getting legal aid and counseling.

“No place is immune to hate, but in California, we’re committed to doing everything in our power to uplift, protect, and heal all our communities,” Kish said.

Hate acts related to race and ethnicity were the most commonly reported, followed by religion and sexual orientation.

The vast majority of reports were made by people who reported being targeted directly by an act of hate.

The CA vs Hate hotline accepts all reports of hate acts, and unlike law enforcement is not limited to those rising to the level of a criminal offense.

The hotline is available in more than 200 languages over the phone, with 15 different languages in the online portal.

THOUSANDS OF CHILDCARE WORKERS EXPECTED TO MARCH THURSDAY

As California lawmakers gather inside the Capitol Thursday to vote on the 2023-24 budget, thousands of unionized child care providers from across the state will gather outside, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve the proposal for immediate pay increases.

Child Care Providers United has a contract with the state that expires June 30. Thus far, there has been no agreement in collective bargaining.

“California child care providers who provide care subsidized by the state for low-wage working parents are being paid rates that cover just 25-30% of their current costs to provide quality care,” the union said in a statement. “And since 2012, 25% of California’s child care providers have left the workforce. The system is at a breaking point and so are providers.”

Providers from Los Angeles, San Diego and the Central Valley are expected to attend, along with thousands more from Northern California, the union said.

The rally is set to take place on the west steps of the Capitol starting at 10:15 a.m.

UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN GET LOWEST PAY IN U.S.

Undocumented women are the lowest paid workers in America, according to a new report from the Los Angeles-based Gender Equity Policy Institute.

According to the report, for every dollar an undocumented man makes in California, an undocumented woman makes just 87 cents. When compared to white men, they make even less: Just 44 cents for every dollar, according to the report.

“Everyone else is paid more than undocumented women when performing the same work. Since the labor market penalizes undocumented women for their immigration status and gender, their well-being is substantially shaped by the extent their home state’s policies either advance or hinder immigrant rights,” Natalia Vega Varela, the lead author on the report, said in a statement.

According to the report, there are 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., with the largest population in California — 2 million, including 900,000 women.

New York was the only state where undocumented women and men were paid roughly the same.

California has the lowest poverty rate (16%) for undocumented women, while Texas (27%) has the largest, followed by Florida and New York (both at 21%).

QUOTE(S) OF THE DAY

“The judiciary committee just voted to allow government to discriminate based on race when providing services, as proposed by #ACA7. I fundamentally disagree with this backwards policy as do 57% of Californians who voted to prohibit Affirmative Action when they adopted #Prop209.”

- Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, via Twitter.

“This is a perfect example how a minority can become a white supremacist by doing everything possible to win white supremacist and fascist affection. History will judge him poorly. His politics is dangerous and should be combated at every turn. #antiracism”

- Assemblyman Corey Jackson, D-Moreno Valley, responding to the above tweet, via Twitter.

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