The Southern Poverty Law Center has released their annual report, The Year in Hate. According to the report, the number of hate groups operating in America has increased by 48 percent since 2000, an increase SPLC calls “staggering” and attributes mainly to the “anti-immigrant fervor sweeping the country.”  The number of hate groups is 888 last year, up 5 percent from the 844 groups in 2006 and far above the 602 groups documented in 2000.  The states with the largest greatest growth in hate groups were California, Arizona and Texas, which had jumps of 27 percent, 70 percent, and 22 percent, respectively.  The report features a U.S. map showing the locations of the groups.   In keeping with previous reports, the SPLC has a rather expansive definition of a “hate group” so the  map includes neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, Klansmen, black separatists, groups that target gays or immigrants, and some tha tspecialize in producing racist music or propaganda denying the Holocaust.    SPLC President Richard Cohen and Editor of SPLC’s Intelligence Report Mark Potok will host a live webcast about the report on March 26, 2pm, EST.   You can register to listen to the webcast here.