Anti-South Asian ‘hate speech’ has exploded online in US, report finds | Racism News
Surge in Hate Speech Against South Asians in the U.S. Linked to Political Climate and Economic Factors
A report released by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) has revealed a significant increase in hate speech directed at individuals of Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani descent in the United States. The analysis attributes this rise to a combination of political rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, economic anxieties, and the growing visibility of the South Asian community in American life.
The report, titled “The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States,” indicates that the monthly count of anti-South Asian posts on the social media platform X surged by 240 percent from January 2024 to June 2026. The number of hateful posts increased from 12,904 to 43,843 during this time frame.
Between January 2025 and June 2026, researchers documented over 542,000 instances of hate speech directed toward South Asians. Notably, five of the six months with the highest volume of such posts occurred in the latter part of this period.
Researchers utilized the United Nations’ definition of hate speech and identified recurring anti-South Asian slurs and narratives. They excluded criticisms that did not meet the UN threshold for hate speech in their analysis. The findings revealed that nearly half of the hate posts on X implied that South Asians were “invading” the U.S., stealing jobs, or posing demographic threats. Additionally, the derogatory slur “pajeet” and its variants appeared in 30 percent of hate posts on X and 45 percent on fringe platforms. Posts characterizing South Asians as unclean also saw the largest increase, rising by 171 percent.
The report noted that racism against these communities has a long-standing history in the U.S. However, the current increase in hate speech reflects a combination of deep-seated prejudices exacerbated by recent political and economic pressures. A focal point in the report is the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers and is dominated by Indian nationals. The report links several spikes in anti-South Asian sentiment to controversies surrounding this visa program, particularly an imposed requirement for a $100,000 payment on certain petitions in September 2025.
The report also highlighted Trump’s rhetoric, including comments made during an AI summit in July 2025, criticizing technology companies for outsourcing jobs to India, which correlated with a rise in online hate.
Recent incidents that drew public attention included a now-deleted post by the Department of Homeland Security in September 2026 that featured a Sikh man and contained derogatory language. Shortly after, the Department of Education posted about South Asians at a college football game, echoing sentiments from political figures.
The CSOH report draws attention to how perceptions of South Asians have shifted, arguing that they have transitioned from being viewed as “model minorities” to being labeled as “opportunists.” This shift occurs amid increasing visibility of South Asians in American politics, with notable figures including former Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The report notes that Mamdani’s electoral successes triggered spikes in anti-South Asian and Islamophobic rhetoric.
The researchers assert that these trends are intertwined with societal anxieties regarding the changing demographics in the U.S., further perpetuating conspiracy theories surrounding the “Great Replacement Theory.”
Social media platforms have contributed significantly to this dynamic, enabling targeted harassment against South Asians. Instances of doxxing—where individuals’ personal information is disclosed online—have risen, with some social media influencers publicly confronting South Asians accused of visa fraud. The report illustrates how generative AI technology has made it easier to disseminate harmful stereotypes.
While much of the report focuses on online hate, it acknowledges the connection to offline hostility, citing violent incidents, including attacks on South Asian individuals in Utah and Wyoming. The researchers concluded that online and offline hate often reinforce each other, with harmful narratives circulating across various platforms and into personal interactions.
