South Asian Report

The sudden ascendance of South Asian figures in U.S. politics coincides with high levels of anti-South Asian hate online and offline.

Summer 2024 represented a huge milestone for South Asian political representation. On July 17, Usha Vance took center stage at the Republican National Convention after her husband, Senator J.D. Vance joined Donald Trump on the Republican ticket for U.S. President. Within a couple of weeks, President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid and Vice President Kamala Harris was named the Democratic nominee. With the sudden ascendance of Vance and Harris — both second-generation Indian Americans — South Asian America was thrust into the political spotlight.

Altogether, “Empowered/Imperiled” paints a clear picture of what happens the rise of South Asian political representation collides with acts of hate on the internet and on the ground — and who gets hurt in the process. 

Key findings

Asian Americans — most of all South Asian Americans — are facing a notable increase in online hate* ahead of the 2024 elections. Even as South Asian Americans like Vice President Kamala Harris take the political spotlight, South Asian communities must navigate racism and xenophobia, religious discrimination, political scapegoating, and more. 

This fits into a longer-term pattern of hate and discrimination targeting South Asian communities that has brought harm to generations of people. The consequences for South Asian communities are serious, including mental health issues, financial stress, and changes to their daily routines to avoid racism. 

At the same time, anti-South Asian hate is also a powerful driver of civic engagement and political activation. Even in the face of ongoing hate and discrimination, South Asian people are responding to racism with political resistance by signing petitions, contributing to racial justice organizations, and resisting racism in their local communities.

* in monitored DVE spaces

Hate on the ground reflects what is happening online.

Research has shown a connection between online anti-Asian sentiment and on-the-ground anti-Asian hate acts. 

In the report, we discovered significant commonalities between the anti-South Asian language used online and that used in hate act reports submitted to the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center. 

In both online and offline contexts, we observed anti-South Asian slurs and stereotypes like “India is a slimy country,” “Go back to where you came from,” “terrorist,” and “dirty Indians.”

And in both online and offline contexts, we observed references to Kamala Harris and Usha Vance in the context of anti-South Asian hate.

“My sister was walking in a busy downtown area of a diverse [metro] suburb. … A stranger walked up to her … and started yelling at her, ‘Are you voting for that b-tch,’ ‘Are you voting for the b-tch, Kamala Harris?‘  … He kept following her, yelling louder, ‘You b-tches shouldn’t even be in this country … this is the USA.‘ … At a time when she should be proud and excited about a South Asian candidate for president of the United States, she has to worry about her safety.”

— Woman, South Asian, Eastern U.S.

Official data on in person acts of hate can take months — and sometimes years — to go public, making it difficult to assess the wants, needs, and concerns of affected communities. In this context, real-time analysis of online hate can serve as an early warning system for racism and discrimination on the ground.

South Asian people are primed to take action to combat hate and racism.

Even in the face of ongoing hate — both online and offline – our data suggests that South Asian people are not resigning to racism, but rising against it. 

The vast majority of South Asian adults feel concerned about the U.S. racial climate and are motivated to get involved in efforts to resist and reduce racism. That includes signing petitions, calling their elected officials, and donating to local organizations.

And political momentum is on their side. Indian Americans have surpassed Chinese Americans as the largest Asian-alone ethnic group — and boast the highest number of eligible voters. Considering the recent growth of South Asian representation in local, state, and federal politics, South Asian voters are headed into the 2024 elections with enormous political influence.

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Anti-South Asian hate in the U.S. has gone overlooked and underrecognized for centuries — a fact that is responsible for generations of trauma and hardship within and across South Asian communities. Today, South Asian people are facing a new wave of racism, xenophobia, and religious discrimination online, amid the rise of South Asian political representation ahead of the 2024 elections. 

And it will not end after Election Day. In fact, our communities are bracing ourselves for an ongoing rise of anti-South Asian racism and xenophobia stemming from local, state, and federal election results, anti-immigrant political rhetoric, and the general rise of Islamophobia amid the violence and devastation in the Middle East. 

We published this report for two reasons: first, to sound the alarm about the scale and impact of anti-South Asian hate both online and offline; and second, to keep history from repeating itself by calling on our political leaders to mobilize against the racism and discrimination that South Asian communities have faced for far too long.

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