LA County and LA Consulates Held a Meeting to
Discuss the Increase of Anti-Immigrant Hate
Due to Political Rhetoric This Election Season
Amidst a Divisive Election Season, LA County and Representatives From Various Consulates of Spanish-speaking Countries, Unite to Discuss the Increase of Anti-Immigrant Hate in Los Angeles.
 From left, Sr. Alejandro José Letona, Cónsul General of El Salvador; Olga Cielo Molina De La Villa, Consul General of Columbia; Francisco Leal Lisboa, Consul General of Chile; Robin Toma, Executive Director, LA County Commission on Human Relations (at podium); Manuel Ruiz Diaz, Consul General of Paraguay and Ambassador Carlos González Gutiérrez, Cónsul General of México spoke on the rise of anti-immigrant hate in Los Angeles on October 23.
LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 28, 2024 – The Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and its LA vs Hate anti-hate campaign joined forces with the Latin American Consuls General, nonprofit Expediente Rojo Project, and the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs to draw attention to the need to denounce all acts of hate and hostile acts of discrimination that Latino immigrants may face during the current election season.
The meeting’s purpose was to discuss how Latin American Consuls in the Los Angeles area could ensure that their nationals, when victims of a hate crime or incident in LA county, would know how to receive confidential, free assistance in Spanish offered by reporting online to LAvsHate.org or by calling 2-1-1. The meeting also discussed the online LA vs Hate and 211 LA tools and resources that can offer protection against hate and create a more peaceful and civil county.
LA vs Hate is a system designed and run by the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, aimed at eliminating hate and discrimination, and supporting all residents and communities who are subjected to any type of hate acts.
"We know that during election campaigns, there are things said that increase anti-immigrant sentiment, and a large proportion of our communities in Los Angeles come from other countries," Robin Toma, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, explained. "We want to prevent hate and discrimination, and to protect everyone’s human rights. That's why we're expanding our system of assistance to include the consulates of Latin American countries and the Los Angeles County residents they serve."
“When we serve a population the size of the Mexican communities in Southern California, one of our fundamental obligations is to make sure that our nationals know how to clearly receive the message that regardless of their immigration status or nationality, they have a set of inalienable rights as human beings. We are here to defend and protect those rights, with the help of government institutions, starting, but not exclusively, with those offered to us by Los Angeles County," said the Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles, Carlos González Gutiérrez.
"We unite against hate in all its manifestations, advocating that all immigrants and their families live without fear, enriching our society," Rigoberto Reyes, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs, stated.
"We appreciate the opportunity to be able to inform and share resources with our Latin American colleagues to ensure the rights of our migrant communities," Alejandro José Letona, Consul General of El Salvador, added.
"Reporting a crime requires courage, but also information and education. Hence the importance of building bridges," Zully Roman, Director and Founder of Expediente Rojo Project, noted.
The meeting ended with the recognition of cultural differences that would informed the best ways to enable easy reporting of hate, the importance of direct contact (not only via phone or online) between victims and service providers, and an expressed commitment that the County Commission would work to ensure that Consuls would have what they needed so that consulates could inform their nationals of LAvsHate.org and 211's free and confidential services.
If you have questions, you can contact Tony Cowser, ACowser@hrc.lacounty.gov, or 213-440-2945. For Spanish-language media, contact Zully Roman at expedieterojoproject@gmail.com or 323-793-8437.
About LA vs Hate
LA vs Hate is a community-centered system designed to support all residents of Los Angeles County. Led by the Human Relations Commission, LA vs Hate partners with community partners from all five County districts, representing a diverse coalition of voices committed to ending hate. The system aims to address the normalization of hate and inspire people to stand up to it, build understanding about what constitutes a hate act and how to report it, as well as support individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate and work to end systemic discrimination. By tracking and reporting hate, we can ensure that resources are allocated appropriately, that those targeted by hate receive the support they need, and that together, we can build respectful and resilient communities in solidarity with one another. For more information about LA vs Hate, click here.
About the LA County Commission on Human Relations
The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations is dedicated to promoting positive human relations in our richly diverse, multicultural county throughout all five Supervisorial Districts. The Commission works to develop programs that proactively address racism, homophobia, religious prejudice, linguistic bias, anti-immigrant sentiment, and other divisive attitudes that can lead to intercultural tension, hate crimes, and related violence.
For more information about LA County’s Commission on Human Relations, click here.
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Se Reúnen los Consulados Latinoamericanos y la Comisión
de Relaciones Humanas del Condado de Los Ángeles para
Enfrentar al Aumento del Odio Antiinmigrante Durante Esta
Temporada Electoral
El 23 de octubre, rueda de prensa sobre cómo ayudar a victimas del odio antiinmigrante y antilatino en el condado de Los Ángeles. De la izquierda, Alejandro José Letona, Cónsul General de El Salvador (coanfitrión); Olga Cielo Molina De La Villa, Cónsul General de Colombia; Francisco Leal Lisboa, Cónsul General de Chile; Robin Toma, Director Ejecutivo, Comisión de Relaciones Humanas del Condado de Los Ángeles (anfitrión)(detrás del podio); Manuel Ruiz Diaz, Cónsul General de Paraguay; y Embajador Carlos González Gutiérrez, Cónsul General de México (coanfitrión).
LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 28, 2024 – La Comisión de Relaciones Humanas del Condado de Los Ángeles y su campaña contra el odio LA vs Hate unen fuerzas con los Consulados Generales latinoamericanos, Expediente Rojo Project y la Oficina de Asuntos de Inmigrantes para llamar la atención sobre la necesidad de denunciar todos los actos de odio y hechos hostiles de discriminación que puedan enfrentar los inmigrantes latinos, durante la presente temporada electoral.
El encuentro garantiza a los Cónsules Latinoamericanos en el área de Los Ángeles, que sus connacionales, víctimas de un delito de odio, reciban la asistencia confidencial, gratuita, y en español que ofrece el sistema LAvsHate.org o 2-1-1. Así como, el uso apropiado de herramientas en línea como LAvsHate/211, que ofrecen protección contra el odio de una forma pacífica y civil.
LA vs Hate es un sistema diseñado y dirigido por la Comisión de Relaciones Humanas del Condado de Los Ángeles, con el fin de eliminar el odio y la discriminación, y apoyar a todos los residentes y comunidades que son objeto de cualquier tipo de actos de odio.
“Sabemos que durante las campañas electorales, hay cosas dichas que aumentan el sentimiento antinmigrante, y una gran proporción de nuestras comunidades en Los Ángeles vienen de otros países”. “Queremos prevenir el odio y la discriminación y defender los derechos humanos de todos. Por ello, estamos ampliando nuestro sistema de asistencia para cualquier persona que sea víctima de odio y discriminación, incluyendo a los consulados de países latinoamericanos y los residentes del condado de Los Ángeles a los que sirven”. Robin Toma, Director Ejecutivo de la Comisión de Relaciones Humanas del Condado de Los Ángeles.
“Cuando servimos a una población de las dimensiones de las comunidades mexicanas en el sur de California, una de nuestras obligaciones fundamentales es asegurarnos de que nuestros nacionales sepan reciban con claridad el mensaje de que independientemente de su estatus migratorio o de su nacionalidad, ellos tienen una serie de derechos inalienables en tanto que seres humanos. Nosotros estamos para defender y proteger esos derechos, con ayuda de instituciones gubernamentales, empezando, pero no exclusivamente por las que nos ofrece el condado de Los Ángeles” dijo el cónsul general de México en Los Ángeles, Carlos González Gutiérrez.
"Nos unimos contra el odio en todas sus manifestaciones, defendiendo que todos los inmigrantes y sus familias vivan sin alarma, enriqueciendo nuestra sociedad”. Rigo Reyes, Director Ejecutivo de la Oficina de Asuntos de Inmigrantes del Condado de Los Ángeles.
“Agradecemos la oportunidad de poder informar y compartir recursos con nuestros colegas latinoamericanos para velar por los derechos de nuestras comunidades migrantes”. Alejandro José Letona, Cónsul General de El Salvador.
“Denunciar un delito requiere de valor, pero también de información y educación. De ahí la importancia de construir puentes”. Zully Roman, Directora y Fundadora de Expediente Rojo Project.
La reunión terminó con el reconocimiento de las diferencias culturales que informarían sobre las mejores formas de permitir una fácil denuncia del odio, la importancia del contacto directo (no solo por teléfono o en línea) entre las víctimas y los proveedores de servicios, y un compromiso expresado de que la Comisión del Condado trabajaría para garantizar que los cónsules tuvieran lo que necesiten para que los consulados puedan informar a sus nacionales sobre los servicios gratuitos y confidenciales de LAvsHate.org y 211.
Si tiene preguntas puede comunicarse con Tony Cowser, ACowser@hrc.lacounty.gov, o al 213-440-2945. Para los medios de comunicación en español, con Zully Roman a expedieterojoproject@gmail.com o 323-793-8437.
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