Indian professionals face hostility in the US despite comprising only 1.5% of the population, with online slurs rising 115% over two years.
Indians working in high-skilled sectors in the United States are facing a surge in racist backlash, including anti-Asian and anti-South Asian slurs. A recent City Council meeting in Frisco, Texas, showcased this hostility, where speakers claimed an “Indian takeover” of the city and alleged that Indian professionals were “fraudsters.”
Critics often cite job losses among Americans when Indians are hired to work in fields like software engineering. However, legitimate policy concerns are being overshadowed by hate speech. A report by Stop AAPI Hate found a 115% increase in anti-South Asian slurs online between January 2023 and December 2025.
The spike in anti-Indian rhetoric has been linked to conspiracy theories such as the “great replacement” theory, which claims white Americans are being supplanted demographically. This trend accelerated during the 2024 US presidential campaign and surged amid the rise of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor.
According to a Pew Research Center report, three-quarters of high-skilled worker visa applications in 2023 went to Indian nationals. Despite comprising only 1.5% of the overall US population, Indians are among the wealthiest and most educated.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indians-working-in-high-skilled-sectors-in-us-face-racist-backlash-claims-report-new-york-times-101771291602028.html