Book Review: Tough on hate? The cultural politics of hate crimes

• Published date: 01 December 2014
• Date: 01 December 2014
• Author: Sami Ansari
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016814546038
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Book Reviews
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Chapter 10: All the President’s Men: The Watergate Scandal. Often referred to as the most
notorious burglary in American history, many believe ‘‘the film was based on an accurate
portrayal of events’’ (p. 213).
Each chapter connects the film and the importance for the reader by opening with an introduction
to the historical event. The authors focus on one specific historical event and one corresponding
film. Details are described from the original crime and the film adaption is assessed for accuracy
and authenticity. At the end of every chapter, further readings are offered and additional materials
are recommended. Overall, the book creates a wonderful path for discussion and connection.
Lewis, C. S.
Tough on hate? The cultural politics of hate crimes. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2013. 168 pp.
$22.46. ISBN 978-0813562308
Reviewed by: Sami Ansari, Salem State University, Salem, MA, USA
DOI: 10.1177/0734016814546038
In her book Tough on Hate? The Cultural Politics of Hate Crime, Clara Lewis broaches the subject
of hate crime and then goes on to argue that our cultural perception and understanding of hate crime
are flawed, and a mere criminal justice approach of dealing with hate crime may not be sufficient.
This flawed understanding, primarily promoted by the news media, politicians, and law enforcement
authorities, wrongfully assumes that by and large, the mainstream American society is a tolerant
society and hate crime is an individual criminal activity and a law enforcement problem. Lewis then
argues that this cultural depiction is inaccurate and inhibits our ability to address the problems of
hate crime which subsequently also results in secondary victimization of hate crime victims.
The discussion of hate crime, effectively integrates sociological, historical, and legal perspec-
tives, along with different methods of data collection and analyses. In addition to utilizing infor-
mation from the archival media and legislative sources, Lewis included in her analyses the data
from her interviews with some important anti-hate crime activists and architects of anti-hate crime
legislations. The book, apart from the introduction and the epilogue, has four chapters in which
Lewis, with the...