The SPL Center is an independent organization that monitors racist movements. Its founder, Morris Dees, believes that the economic downturn isn’t the only reason for the increase in hatred and violence in America. He points to rising immigration and demographic changes that predict whites will not be a majority within a few decades.
Mr. Dees reports that extremist "patriot" groups "came roaring back to life" in 2009 as their number jumped nearly 250% to more than 500 with deepening ties to conservative mainstream politics. He attributes this increase to anti-Obama hysteria fueled by right wing media, such as Fox News, and anger about the economy.
The KKK Used Immigration to Grow Its Membership during the Great Depression
In the Depression of the 1930s, most Klansmen were lower- to middle-class whites who were trying to protect their jobs and housing from the waves of newcomers arriving in the industrial cities. Those immigrants from southern and eastern Europe tended to be Catholic and Jewish. They arrived in numbers higher than earlier groups of immigrants. At the same time, black and white migrants were moving to the North from the South, pouring into cities such as Detroit and Chicago. Rapidly changing neighborhoods created social tensions, and the Klan grew rapidly in the American Midwest. The Klan also grew in booming Southern cities such as Dallas and Houston.
Today, these states are home to the most hate groups in America: California (84); Texas (66); Florida (56); South Carolina (45); Georgia and New Jersey (40 each). New Mexico, North Dakota, and Maine each report one hate group. Only Alaska and Hawaii boast none.
The New York Times has uncovered a cauldron of anti-Latino hate in Suffolk County, New York, where gangs of teenagers have been “hunting” Latinos for sport. Mr. Dees reports in the SPLC Report that this is simply a microcosm for the violence occurring in communities across America.
