Racism and Hate Crimes

Beginning with the European colonization that led to the near genocide of the local Ohlone people, there has been a long history of racism in Santa Cruz.

Statistics are gathered for the number of hate crimes that are officially investigated locally. In 2009, the Santa Cruz Police Department investigated eight hate crimes.¹

Racist Incidents and Violence

1800s

May 3, 1877 - Lynching of Francisco Arias and Jose Chamales on the Water Street Bridge. See: Hanging on the Water Street Bridge: A Santa Cruz Lynching, by Geoffrey Dunn.

1930s

January 1930 - Hundreds of white men riot in Watsonville, assaulting Filipino workers and killing one man. See: Riots in 1930 revealed Watsonville racism: California apologizes to Filipino Americans, by Donna Jones, Santa Cruz Sentinel, September 3, 2011.

1970s

1972 - The headstone of Louden Nelson in Evergreen Cemetery was broken by vandals.

2000s

October and November 2005 - Several racially motivated crimes occurred in a short time period in Boulder Creek, inspiring a candlelight vigil against racism. In October, a group of Latino workers were attacked in the night along Highway 9, and in November, a Man punched a car in Boulder Creek because its owner had dark skin, then he used a racial slur and threatened to kill him. See: Boulder Creek man gets 195 days in jail, by Cathy Smith, Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 19, 2006, and Boulder Creek lights the way with anti-racism vigil, by Cathy Smith and Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz Sentinel, December 21, 2005, and Sheriff steps up patrols following racial incidents, by Terri Morgan, Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 18, 2005, and Racism surfaces in mountain town, by Cathy Smith, Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 9, 2005.
March 2007-July 2008 - The Central Coast Dispatch is a blog that published local and national news from a "pro-white" perspective.
May 2007 - SANTA CRUZ: Racism alleged in protest penalty: Student guilty of minor charges faces a 3-year suspension, by Leslie Fulbright, SF Chronicle, May 25, 2007.
December 2009 - Nazi flags hang over Pacific Avenue: Santa Cruz police say swastika is protected by First Amendment, by Genevieve Bookwalter, Santa Cruz Sentinel, December 1, 2009.

2010s

January 2010 - A Redwood City man was accused of attacking another man at the Blue Lagoon in downtown Santa Cruz because of his sexual orientation. See: Man accused of hate crime at Santa Cruz club pleads innocent, by Jennifer Squires, Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 8, 2010, and Man wanted for hate crime at gay-friendly Santa Cruz club identified, by Jennifer Squires, Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 6, 2010, and Santa Cruz police probing hate crime at gay-friendly downtown nightclub, by Jennifer Squires, Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 5, 2010.
June 2010 - Cops and Courts: June 8, 2010: Police arrest woman for shoving participant at pride parade, Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 8, 2010.
January 2011 - In Live Oak, the car of a Christian man learning Hebrew at a Jewish temple was spray painted with swastikas and racist graffiti. See: Vehicles spray painted with swastikas in hate crime case, by Cathy Kelly, Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 31, 2011.
May 2011 - Three men attacked three other men in a hate crime motivated by sexual orientation. See: Cops and Courts: May 2, 2011, Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 2, 2011.
May 2011 - Racist graffiti sparks protest at UCSC: Threat found Thursday targets Mexicans, by Tovin Lapan, Santa cruz Sentinel, May 7, 2011.
July 2011 - 50 cars were spray painted with swastikas on the westside of Santa Cruz. See: Santa Cruz vandalism investigation continues, Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 12, 2011, and Santa Cruz neighborhood hosts party in wake of vandalism, aims to raise funds for victims, by Kimberly White, Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 13, 2011.
August 2011 - Man attacked in Capitola by five men and two women believed to be with the white pride movement. See: Man stumbles into Capitola publishing company covered in blood, reports beating, by Jessica M Pasko, Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 27, 2011.
August 2011 - A day laborer was assaulted in Boulder Creek and the attacker said, "This town is for white people." See: Day laborer assaulted in Boulder Creek, Press-Banner, August 30, 2011.
October/November 2011 - On November 9, a swastika was found in a men's bathroom at Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz, and hate speech was found in October in men's bathrooms at Stevenson College, Bay Tree Bookstore, as well as in one of the Humanities buildings. See: Another swastika found at UCSC: Jewish student, instructor call for stern response, Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 18, 2011.
March 2012 - On March 11, anti-semitic graffiti was found on a gravestone at the Home of Peace Cemetery at Temple Beth El. See: Anti-Semitic graffiti found in Santa Cruz cemetery, Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 12, 2012.

Hate Crimes Perpetrated on Asian Americans, by Nicole D'Arcy on the Japanese American Citizens League website
The Kids Are All White, by Sarah Phelan, Metro Santa Cruz, March 26, 2003.

Community Organizations Combatting Racism & Hate Crimes

For The People Works with white-power youth gangs
The Diversity Center
Japanese American Citizens League
Santa Cruz County Community Coalition to Overcome Racism
Watsonville Brown Berets

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