European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Hatred in America culture conflicts Lead to violence by William m. Welch associated press writer americans racial and ethnic makeup is diversifying and so is hatred in the country. Reports of incidents of hate inspired violence Are up in Many areas. And while increased reporting and sensitivity by police May account for much of the increase experts say racial tensions Are being heightened by cultural clashes among the changing minorities in America. A the rapid increase of a minority population in an area almost invariably leads to conflict,1�?T says Howard j. Ehrlich of the National Institute against prejudice and violence. A a a Good Deal of what is going on is genuine culture conflict which Calls out the sort of underlying prejudice and racism that exists in society As a  new York has been a Flash Point for Seething tensions Between groups. Brooklyn s Crown Heights neighbourhood was torn by rioting for three Days last month As violence broke out Between Blacks and their orthodox jewish neighbors. The majority of hate inspired crimes ranging from murders to vandalism remain acts by Whites against Blacks homosexuals or jews. A Swastika painted on Plymouth Rock arson and intimidation of new Black neighbors in the predominantly White Canarsie Section of Brooklyn and assaults on undercover police in Gay bashing stings in Houston Are but three examples. Yet experts say the targets of hate Are broadening and in some cases so Are the perpetrators. Quot we re seeing More and More of it Quot said Danny Welch who monitors hate inspired violence for the Southern poverty Law Center in Montgomery Ala. A ten years ago you saw classic Black and White issues Quot said Welch director of the group s klan watch project. Quot nowadays. People Are struggling for the same jobs a Blacks Whites asians hispanics. It can create problems. Quot the 1990 census documented a dramatically changing racial mix in american society with Large growth in hispanic and asian american populations and a relative decline in the majority White population. Much of the increase is due to immigration resulting in a doubling of the asian american population to 3 percent and a More than 50 percent increase in hispanics who now make up 9 percent of the population. Blacks now make up just under half of the nation s minority population and if current trends continue hispanics will surpass Blacks within 20 years. A More than statistics those changes Are showing up on inner City streets in suburbs and in towns around the country. Burgeoning minority groups Are confronting resentment and racism. Bigotry is up civility Down it seems. A was diversity grows hate crime statistics Rise and dealing with tensions caused by Competition for jobs and housing exacerbated by language barriers and cultural misunderstandings becomes increasingly complicated Quot Lynn Duvall researcher and writer with. Klan watch writes in an upcoming Issue of the group s monthly intelligence report. Attacks on asian americans May reflect envy and resentment of the economic Success of Asia and the attention Given to achievements by asian americans. Tensions Between Blacks and asian american businessmen such As korean grocery store operators in Black neighbourhoods have been seen in new York los Angeles and elsewhere. Whites and others commonly fail or refuse to distinguish the varied groups of asian ancestry. Klan watch cites a Case in Glendale Calif., where a korean presbyterian Church was Spray painted with derogatory remarks including Quot go Back to  in Raleigh.  White Man Robert Piche. Was convicted of second degree murder in the death of Jim Loo after Loo and friends were harassed in a Pool Hall. A brother Lloyd Ray Piche was convicted in Federal court july 15 of conspiring to violate Loo s civil rights marking the first Federal civil rights conviction involving violence against asian americans according to the organization of. Chinese americans. In Washington dc., hispanic frustration and resentment of the City a Black Power Structure boiled Over into riots last Spring. Black hispanic a a a a tensions have been visible in other cities As Well. Eugene Mornell executive director of the los Angeles county human relations commission says Black Lalino conflict and latin asian conflict Are increasing in los Angeles. Violence against Arab americans and muslims surged during the Gulf War he said. Quot historically most of the perpetrators either arrested by the police or described by police have been Young White males Quot Mornell said. Now he said they Are Quot coming from virtually every  hate crimes often Are not reported to police or not recognized As motivated by race or other hatred. Homosexuals who have kept their sexual preference a secret for instance May not choose to report an assault. Attacks and intimidation on Gays and lesbians have surged dramatically however according to counts compiled by the National Gay and lesbian task Force. Some of that May be due to increased recognition of the problem by police including the we think that the hate crime itself is just a tip of the iceberg. It reflects a much larger increase in prejudice and hostility Fri which has cooperated with Gay groups in compiling National statistics under the hate crimes reporting Law passed by Congress last year. Gay groups believe Gays Are the focus of More violence because of the increased attention they have received in society in part because of the aids epidemic. Quot we Are a Community under siege and we Are battling an epidemic of harassment and Gay bashing Quot Bray said. While hatred inspired violence seems to be on the Rise so far there is no conclusive data to prove whether there is an actual increase or simply that they Are being More widely reported said Jack Mcdevitt who studies the crimes As associate director of the Center for applied social research at northeastern University in Boston. But the Fri this year began compiling voluntary reports from states and cities and is training local authorities in reporting under them. A Law passed by Congress last year requires the Fri to compile hate crime statistics but the first ones won t be ready until next year. But what inspires the hatred that leads to violence Mcdevitt Points to economics demographics and Basic misunderstandings bom of stereotypes and resentment. As part of his studies Mcdevitt has talked to haters including members of violence prone skinhead groups. He said some held startling misconceptions including the notion that asian immigrants were Given a free car by the government when they arrived in the United states. Most violence Between races takes place not in All Black or affluent White communities but in Quot zones of transition Quot he said. They Are areas where the races live or work together and where one group or both feels economically threatened. Quot that a where we saw these things happening Quot he said Quot where honestly people do feel their piece of the economic pie May be denied  but some say the problem goes beyond economic pressure to reveal deeper social problems. Quot we think that the hate crime itself is just a tip of the iceberg a said Mornell. Quot it reflects a much larger increase in prejudice and hostility Quot the Klu flux klan at a rally this year in Montgomery Ala., still is a Symbol of hate crimes in the United states. Clarence Thomas supreme court nominee. L Doug Tae Wilder governor of Virginia William Bennett former Secretary of education. Catholic bashing is it on the increase by Amy Kuebelbeck los Angeles times a los Angeles Public television station airs Quot Stop the Church Quot a controversial documentary about the Catholic Church and aids in which members of the activist group act up disrupt communion services at new York s St. Patrick a Cathedral and sprawl on the floor in a Quot die in Quot Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder a democratic presidential hopeful asks Quot How much allegiance is there to the Pope Quot in reference to supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas who went to Catholic Grade schools and who publicly thanked the nuns who taught him. National Public radio and Abc to correspondent Cokie Roberts mentions on Quot this week with David Brinkley Quot that she is a Catholic and is flooded with Quot vitriolic Quot hate mail blasting her religion. Is the United states experiencing a Rise in ant Catholic sentiment some catholics would say yes. Quot if you say anti catholicism is alive and Well most people will look at you As if you re crazy Quot said Roberts Quot but it s  two weeks ago a newly formed group whose spokesmen include William Bennett former Secretary of education and . Drug Czar took the offensive. The Catholic Campaign for America announced at a Washington news conference that it has Quot had enough of  we will attempt to speak in a level even tempered voice a nevertheless a Strong one a to say that As catholics we Don t like to be bashed ridiculed made fun of Quot Bennett sad. Quot sooner or later catholics were bound to say look to re tired of being the easy target Quot Bennett and others Are Quick to Point to comments about Thomas whose confirmation hearings began last week. The Rev. Gregory Colo a spokesman for the los Angeles archdiocese says that suggesting that american catholics have divided loyalty is As offensive As saying american jews Are torn Between the United states and Israel which Quot is always looked upon As an ant semitic  questions about Clarence Thomas religious beliefs amount to a religious test for Public office noted John a Whitehead president of the Rutherford Institute a rious liberties group in Charlottesville a Quot if i were c Vidic i d be pretty upset right now Quot he said. Other observers within the Church a and without a say at the very least that prejudice against the nations 55 million catholics persists and that bigotry in any form deserves attack. Arthur Teitelbaum Southern area director of the anti defamation league of b Nai by Rith in Miami sees anti catholicism in sources ranging from Quot Gutter level extremist groups Quot to Quot casual cocktail party conversation which is often innocuous in its intent but is poisonous in its  Quot it is part of the mosaic of bigotry that exists in America Quot Teitelbaum said adding that any form is insidious and infectious. Quot when anti catholicism raises its ugly head it is the responsibility of every Catholic and non Catholic alike to repudiate it and attempt to quarantine  sociologist author and Catholic priest Andrew Greeley who wrote an ugly Little secret anti when anti catholicism raises its ugly head it is the responsibility of every Catholic and non Catholic alike to repudiate it and attempt to quarantine it. Catholicism in North America said anti catholicism is a Quot consistent and durable component of american  a study released in april by the Center for Media and Public affairs commissioned by the Catholic league for religious and civil rights and the knights of Columbus concluded that Quot Long term trends in news coverage have been less than favourable to the Church Quot and that Quot the language used to describe the Church increasingly carries connotations of conservatism oppressive Ness and  fringe groups continue to publish hate literature. In May anti Catholic comic books were found on car windshields in Oceanside Calif. Comics by Jack Chick publications of Chino Calif., say for example that the Pope is the Antichrist. The Tony and Susan Alamo foundation founded in Southern California has been a Well known distributor of anti Catholic literature across the United states. One Alamo pamphlet claimed that Pope John Paul ii As a Young polish Salesman sold cyanide to the nazis for use in Auschwitz. Tony Alamo was recently arrested in Florida on charges of child abuse and tax evasion what we re seeing is hatred. Not just hatred but we re seeing that hatred tolerated a said Michael Schwartz author of the persistent prejudice anti catholicism in America. Schwartz said that Church officials have told him it is unofficial policy to downplay anti Catholic vandalism or sentiment hoping it will Wither on its own. That attitude is Quot extremely mistaken Quot he said adding that american catholics should follow the example of american jews calling attention to religious prejudice and making it unacceptable. Coiro of the los Angeles archdiocese said that he has never heard of such a policy but Church officials do choose to ignore some incidents rather than draw attention to them. Quot part of the blame i place upon ourselves Quot Coiro said. Quot we have not been vociferous enough in demanding equal treatment from our  Schwartz Points his Finger at some Quot upwardly Mobile Quot Catholic politicians and academics As Well. A to certify themselves As Independent thinkers they have to Lead the charge against the Church Quot said Schwartz now a resident fellow in social policy at the free Congress foundation a conservative Public policy think tank in Washington. Quot when they re leading the attack on the Church it s open season for anyone  one Lay organization founded in 1973 has tried to be vociferous. The 18,000-member Catholic league for religious and civil rights based in Philadelphia believes anti Catholic incidents Are on the Rise and fights them by issuing statements writing columns aiding lawsuits and publishing newsletters according to director for government affairs Patrick Riley. Anti Catholic sentiment in the United states can be traced Back to the country s protestant foundations. It continued through Waves of Catholic immigrants in the 19th Century and Many observers say with the current wave of latino and asian immigrants. Bias was fanned by such nativist groups As the know nothings in the 1850s and the american protective association in the 1880s churches wore burned convents attacked. The Kun flux klan was actively anti Catholic in the 1920s such feeling helped defeat presidential candidate Al Smith in 1928. Greeley and others say anti Cal Holt ideas emanate from both fundamentalist Christian and intellectual circles Quot its this snobbish we know better intellectualism Quot Roberts said. The idea persists Quot that anybody who is a practising Catholic has got to be a Little bit stupid or at least  Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday sept Quot Ber Quot a 1991 the stars and stripes Page 15