California’s Multilingual Hotline for Help with Hate

Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service

California vs Hate was launched by the California Department of Civil Rights in May 2023 as a state-wide multilingual hotline for residents to report hate crimes and incidents and – most important — connect people targeted for hate with culturally competent resources and care coordination services including mental health support, legal aid, financial support and more.

Residents can report online at any time in 15 languages, or by phone in 200 languages between 9am – 6 pm Monday through Friday. Confidential services are available for everyone for free, regardless of immigration status, and reports can be made anonymously. As we near the hotline’s first anniversary, EMS briefing provided an overview of how the hotline connects those in need with resources through its system of partner organizations, as well as share metrics around reporting numbers across the state. Californians can visit the website CAvsHate.org or call 833-8-NO-HATE to receive assistance in more than 200 languages.

Yolie Anguiano, Director of 211 LA, an anti-hate project in Los Angeles, said the target of a hate incident does not have to report it, even advocates or witnesses can report it. A friend visited an advocate at his home and was met with hatred from his neighbors, who claimed, “You must leave, or I will kill you” and made threatening gestures to cut his throat. The advocate called the hotline and obtained the help of victims in California. The CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network is a significant collaborative effort to cast a real safety net around victims of hate.

Cynthia Choi, Stop AAPI Hate said  we know that there are so many barriers to reporting to a governmental agency. There is a lack of trust and a sense of hopelessness. CA vs. Hate hotline is an incredible response because it signals there are systems of care, that we want to respond and, be of resource to individuals.

Chantel Bermudez, Senior Manager of the CA vs. Hate Resource Line, CA Civil Rights Department said the main goals of the hotline are to identify options and next steps for the caller, connect them with culturally competent resources, and increase the accessibility for reporting hate crimes.

James Williams, Jr., Community-Based Organization Manager, CA Civil Rights Department said the hotline has received calls from 79 percent of counties in the state. The leading cause of hate crime is motivated by race, making up 42 percent of all calls, with religion and sexual orientation as the second and third leading motivations for reported crimes.

Hotline calls are picked up by care coordinators who are specifically trained in responding to trauma, access to resources, and cultural competency.