American Indians and Alaska Natives experience the second-highest rate of race-based hate crimes in the U.S.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 115 Native Americans were the victims of hate crimes in 2012. Even though the number appears to be low, it accounted for 3.3 percent of all race-based incidents that year.

American Indians and Alaska Natives represent just 1.2 percent of the general population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So the FBI data means that Native Americans are more than twice as likely to victims of race-based hate crimes than other racial groups.

Highlighting the disparity, Wonkblog at The Washington Post converted the data to a per capita rate. According to the blog, 30 out of every 1 million Native American persons were the victims of hate crimes in 2012.

The rate is surpassed only by one other group. According to Wonkblog, more than 50 out of every 1 million African Americans were the victims of race-based hate crimes that year.

Going back to the FBI data, 1,805 single-bias incidents targeted African Americans in 2012. That accounts for 66.2 percent of all race-based hate crimes.

African Americans represent 13.2 percent of the general population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, so they are more than five times as likely to be victims of hate crimes than other racial groups.

The latest data from from 2013 paints a worsening situation. According to the FBI, American Indians and Alaska Natives accounted for 4.5 percent of race-based hate crimes that year.

Get the Story:
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For accused killer Dylann Roof, a life that had quietly drifted off track (The Washington Post 6/19)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
One in 10 hate crimes target American Indians (October 1, 2001)

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