During the 1990s, many recently arrived immigrants and refugees in search of secure and stable places to raise their families moved to smaller, mostly homogenous American cities and towns. In these smaller communities, a lack of experience with ethnic and racial minorities along with the fear-provoking impact of 9/11 gave racial supremacists an opportunity to expand their membership base by promoting racial hatred and fears across these communities. This research examines response to hate provocation in one small New England city and shows how a community can successfully organize against racial hostilities and prevent violence. The results of the research suggest that racial violence is more likely to erupt if there is no community-wide response to racial provocations and also that the media can play an important role in countering hate messages by presenting truthful information and covering issues fairly. © 2007 Sage Publications.

immigrants Hate groups violence Community mobilization Somalis

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