Anti-South Asian Hate Speech Surges Online in the US, New Report Finds

Hate speech targeting Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani communities in the United States has risen dramatically online, according to a new report that attributes the surge to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and rhetoric, economic anxiety, and the growing visibility of South Asians in American life.

The report, titled "The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States," was published on Sunday by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH). It found that the monthly volume of hateful posts aimed at South Asians on the social media platform X increased by 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026, climbing from 12,904 posts to 43,843.

Researchers identified more than 542,000 hateful posts on X directed at people from South Asia living in the US between January 2025 and June 2026 alone. Five of the six highest-volume months during that period fell at the end of the timeline, suggesting an accelerating trend rather than a passing spike.

To ensure accuracy, the researchers applied the United Nations definition of hate speech. They tracked recurring anti-South Asian slurs and narratives, manually reviewing posts to exclude criticism that did not meet the UN threshold. This methodology allowed them to distinguish between legitimate political debate and content that crosses into targeted hostility.

The findings reveal several distinct narratives driving the surge. Nearly half of the hate posts on X accused South Asians of invading the US, stealing jobs, or threatening the country demographically. The derogatory slur "pajeet" and its variants appeared in 30 percent of hateful posts on X and 45 percent on fringe platforms, indicating that such language is not confined to the mainstream but is even more prevalent in darker corners of the internet.

Posts depicting South Asians as dirty or unhygienic grew by 171 percent on X, making it the fastest-growing narrative of all. The report also found that hate frequently collapsed South Asian ethnic and religious groups into one, with Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis conflated with one another, and Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians treated as a monolith.

So why now? Racism against Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis has a long history in the US, but researchers argue the current surge reflects a confluence of longstanding prejudices and new political and economic pressures. The report points to the H-1B visa program, which allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers, as a major flashpoint.

Indians account for more than 70 percent of H-1B visa holders, and researchers linked several spikes in anti-South Asian hate to political fights over the program. One such spike followed Trump's imposition of a $100,000 payment requirement on certain new H-1B petitions in September 2025. The report argues that such actions serve a powerful symbolic function, reinforcing the hostility of Trump's base toward South Asians.

The report makes a similar argument about the administration's rhetoric. It highlights Trump's speech at an AI summit in July 2025, in which he criticized US technology companies for outsourcing jobs to India. Researchers observed a sharp spike in anti-South Asian rhetoric online after that speech. More recently, the report points to a since-deleted September 2026 Department of Homeland Security post titled "Transformers: Age of Deportations," featuring a Sikh man identified as "Mr Singh" and telling him to "get off our roads."

Days later, the Department of Education posted "Make College Football Great Again," after Texas Republican Bo French had complained about the presence of South Asians at a University of Texas football game. The report argues that such rhetoric reinforces the idea of South Asians as outsiders who "can never truly belong in the country."

Economic resentment is another factor, researchers wrote, with the success of some South Asians increasingly being weaponized against them. Indian Americans once stereotyped as a "model minority" are now portrayed as "opportunists and cheats," and South Asians are used more broadly as a scapegoat for anger over jobs and the economy.

This comes as South Asians have become increasingly visible in US politics, from former Vice President Kamala Harris and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance, and politician Vivek Ramaswamy. The report documents racist attacks against figures across party lines and highlights how, for example, Mamdani's primary and mayoral victories triggered spikes in anti-South Asian and Islamophobic abuse.

Researchers say both trends are now also tied up with "anxieties on the part of the majority about loss of status," and feed the "Great Replacement Theory," a conspiracy about the white population in Western countries being replaced by an orchestrated takeover. This conspiracy theory has been linked to multiple violent incidents in recent years and continues to circulate widely on social media platforms.

Social media has also turned those narratives into targeted harassment. Researchers found X accounts doxxing South Asians accused of taking jobs or committing visa fraud, while influencers have confronted people at their homes and workplaces and posted the encounters online. Doxxing refers to exposing a person's private details, such as their home address, online.

In one example, right-wing influencer Sara Gonzalez posted a video to more than half a million followers in which the report says she harassed a South Asian individual. Such incidents illustrate how online hate can translate into real-world intimidation and danger, leaving victims fearful for their safety and unsure of where to turn for protection.

The report's findings raise urgent questions about the role of social media platforms in curbing hate speech. While X has faced criticism for loosening content moderation policies in recent years, the researchers emphasize that the problem extends beyond any single platform. Fringe platforms, where the "pajeet" slur appeared in 45 percent of hateful posts, have become breeding grounds for extreme content that often migrates to mainstream sites.

For South Asian communities in the US, the surge in online hate is not merely a digital phenomenon. It reflects and reinforces real-world discrimination, affecting everything from employment opportunities to personal safety. The report's authors call for a comprehensive response that addresses both the root causes of xenophobia and the platforms that amplify it.

As the US continues to debate immigration policy and economic priorities, the report serves as a stark reminder that rhetoric has consequences. The conflation of diverse South Asian communities into a single threatening "other" not only fuels hate but also obscures the genuine contributions and complexities of these communities. Without meaningful intervention, researchers warn, the rising tide of anti-South Asian hate may continue to swell, with dangerous implications for social cohesion and democratic values.