hate crime is a crime motivated by hate (based on racial, sexual and other prejudices). Hate crime的前提是crime。
在大街上用种族歧视的话骂人,不是犯罪。是言论自由。美国保护KKK,nazi party在街上游行的权利。
但是,如果一个人在别人的墙上喷种族歧视的句子,由于是因为hate而引起的crime (vandalism motivated by racial hatred) 才是hate crime. 一边打人一边骂你是移民,也是hate crime,但是只骂不打,不是crime。