Tough on Hate is the first book to examine the cultural politics of hate crimes both within and beyond the law. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including personal interviews, unarchived documents, television news broadcasts, legislative debates, and presidential speeches, the book challenges readers to reconsider their understanding of hate crimes and raises startling questions about the trajectory of civil and minority rights.

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction: The Cultural Politics of Hate Crimes
2. The Invention of Hate Crimes
3. The Nation and Post-Difference Politics
4. Cultural Criminalization and the Figure of the Hater
5. Hate Crime Victimhood and Post-Difference Citizenship
Epilogue: Challenging Hate Crimes on a Cultural Front

Appendix: Methods and Sources
Notes
Index