Online Hate Speech Against South Asians in the US Surges by 240%, Driven by Political Rhetoric and Economic Anxiety, Report Reveals

Hate speech targeting Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis in the United States has surged dramatically online, according to a new report. Researchers attribute this rise to a combination of former President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies and rhetoric, widespread economic anxiety, and the increasing visibility of South Asian communities in American public life.

Titled “The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States,” the report—published by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH)—reveals that monthly hate speech directed at South Asians on platform X skyrocketed by 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026. The monthly volume of hateful posts surged from 12,904 to 43,843 during this period.

Between January 2025 and June 2026, researchers documented over 542,000 hateful posts targeting South Asians residing in the United States. Notably, five out of the six highest-volume months occurred during the latter part of this timeframe.

Utilizing the United Nations’ official definition of hate speech, the study tracked recurring slurs and hostile narratives targeting South Asians online. Researchers carefully reviewed individual posts to filter out general criticism that did not meet the rigorous threshold of hate speech.

The analysis revealed that nearly half of all hateful posts on X accused South Asians of “invading” the country, stealing employment opportunities, or posing a demographic threat. Meanwhile, the derogatory slur “pajeet” and its variants appeared in 30 percent of hateful posts on X, and a staggering 45 percent on fringe online platforms.

Posts portraying South Asians as dirty or unhygienic experienced a 171 percent increase on X, marking it as the fastest-growing narrative of its kind.

Often, this hateful discourse lumped diverse South Asian ethnic and religious groups into a single, homogenized entity. Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis were frequently conflated, while religious groups including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians were treated as a monolithic bloc.

The Drivers Behind the Surge

While anti-Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani racism has a long history in the United States, researchers argue that the current surge represents a convergence of deep-seated prejudices with modern political and economic pressures.

The report identifies the H-1B visa program—designed to allow U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers—as a primary flashpoint. Since Indian nationals account for over 70 percent of H-1B visa holders, political battles over the program have directly fueled spikes in anti-South Asian sentiment. For instance, a September 2025 policy imposing a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions was closely linked to a sharp rise in online hostility.

“Such actions serve a powerful symbolic function, reinforcing the hostility of political bases toward South Asians,” the report notes.

Similarly, the report highlights how high-level political rhetoric exacerbates tensions. Former President Trump’s July 2025 speech at an AI summit, in which he criticized U.S. technology companies for outsourcing jobs to India, was followed by an immediate and sharp spike in anti-South Asian rhetoric online.

More recent examples cited by the report include a since-deleted September 2026 Department of Homeland Security post titled “Transformers: Age of Deportations.” The post featured a Sikh man labeled “Mr. Singh” with the caption telling him to “get off our roads.”

Days later, the Department of Education posted a message reading “Make College Football Great Again,” following complaints by Texas Republican Bo French regarding the presence of South Asian spectators at a University of Texas football game.

The report argues that official government messaging of this nature reinforces the damaging perception of South Asians as perpetual outsiders who “can never truly belong in the country.”

From ‘model minority’ to job thieves

Researchers point to economic resentment as another critical driver, noting that the professional and economic success of certain South Asians is increasingly being weaponized against the broader community.

Once stereotyped as a “model minority,” Indian Americans are now frequently portrayed in online hate spaces as “opportunists and cheats.” More broadly, South Asians are being used as a convenient scapegoat for public anger regarding job security and the economy.

This surge in hostility coincides with the increasing visibility of South Asians in American politics. Prominent figures spanning the political spectrum—from former Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Usha Vance and politician Vivek Ramaswamy—have faced racist attacks. The report highlights how political milestones, such as Mamdani’s primary and mayoral victories, triggered significant spikes in anti-South Asian and Islamophobic abuse online.

Researchers explain that these dynamics are deeply intertwined with anxieties among the majority population regarding a perceived loss of social status. These anxieties feed directly into the “Great Replacement Theory,” a white nationalist conspiracy claiming that white populations in Western countries are being systematically replaced by minority groups.

On social media, these broad narratives have been translated into highly targeted, individual harassment campaigns.

The study documented X accounts dedicated to doxxing South Asians accused of securing jobs or allegedly committing visa fraud. Additionally, online influencers have confronted individuals at their homes and workplaces, broadcasting these encounters to the public. Doxxing refers to the act of publishing private details, such as home addresses, without consent.

In one prominent example, right-wing influencer Sara Gonzalez posted a video to over half a million followers, in which she harassed a South Asian individual accused of exploiting the H-1B program.

Furthermore, researchers warn that generative AI has lowered the barrier to producing hateful content, making it easier to generate depictions of South Asians as “filthy and unclean, sexually predatory, culturally backward, or a demographic threat.”

Although the report focuses primarily on online activity, researchers emphasize that digital hate speech does not exist in a vacuum, separate from real-world violence. The study cites a July incident in which an Indian Muslim mall employee in Utah was repeatedly stabbed in an attack charged by federal prosecutors as a hate crime, as well as a September incident in which a Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming truck stop.

“Online and offline hate can reinforce one another,” the researchers concluded, explaining how toxic narratives, stereotypes, and demonizing rhetoric flow seamlessly between digital platforms, political discourse, media, and everyday life.

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