By Mark Moran
Social scientists say white nationalism is on the rise in Arizona, reflecting a national trend.
Groups espousing racist views are disguising themselves as fitness enthusiasts and participating in MMA-style fighting events across the West. A recent "Active Club" event in California drew participants from several western states, including Arizona. The Anti-Defamation League says members see themselves as fighters training for a war that's being waged against the white race.
Art Jipson, an associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Dayton, said the groups are loosely structured, and stay that way for a reason.
"Their decentralized structure makes them difficult to track but it also allows them to spread pretty quickly," he said. "They're embedding white supremacist and white nationalist ideology in everyday spaces rather than only the political rally."
A report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism reports a 25% increase in "Active Clubs" in the last two years. Members say they are simply joining active organizations that support their beliefs, and committed to brotherhood and self-improvement.
The Southern Poverty Law Center says at least 38 anti-government extremist groups operate in Arizona, and the number continues to rise. Half of the new "Active Groups" that have formed in the last two years have targeted males, typically between ages 14 and 18, as their prime recruits.
Jipson said political polarization in the United States has played into the hands of these groups, providing strong recruitment tools.
"They are mobilizing around really powerful images and ideology that, at the end of the day, gives people something to believe in," he said, "and that's really difficult to combat."
The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism says there are now at least 187 "Active Clubs" in 27 countries.
