US lawmaker urges action against rising anti-South Asian hate online
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Washington: Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has called on political leaders from both parties to oppose racism and xenophobia after a study reported a sharp rise in online hate targeting South Asians in the United States.
Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, was responding to a report by the Center for the Study of Organised Hate, which found that the monthly volume of anti-South Asian hate posts on X had increased by 240 per cent between January 2024 and June 2026.
Researchers identified approximately 542,360 hateful posts targeting South Asians on the platform between January 2025 and June 2026. Around 45 per cent of the posts portrayed South Asians as “invaders”, job stealers or a demographic threat, according to a summary released by Krishnamoorthi’s office.
The figures relate to online posts recorded during the 18-month study period and do not represent the number of physical attacks, reported hate crimes or individual victims.
“The 240 per cent surge in monthly anti-South Asian hate on X did not come out of nowhere,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He accused politicians and the Trump administration of contributing to hostility against the community, alleging that South Asians had been targeted through political rhetoric and racist stereotypes.
The Congressman did not provide further details about the specific incidents cited in his statement.
He urged Americans and political leaders across party lines to challenge racism wherever it appears.
“Americans of every background, and leaders of both parties, need to speak out against racism and xenophobia wherever they appear,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi also defended the contribution of South Asian Americans to the country, saying their place in American society could not be erased by online abuse.
The report, titled “The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States”, attributed the increase to immigration politics, economic resentment, political rhetoric, the growing public visibility of South Asians and the spread of hateful content through digital platforms.
The study examined posts on X and other online platforms, including 4chan, 8chan and Gab. On X, researchers recorded a rise in monthly posts from 12,904 in January 2024 to 43,843 in June 2026.
The term South Asian covers several national, linguistic and religious communities, including people with roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other parts of the subcontinent. Therefore, the study’s findings for South Asians as a group cannot be treated as figures relating solely to Indian-Americans.
(Inputs from IANS)