Surge in hate crimes against South Asians linked to political spotlight

A new report from Stop AAPI Hate reveals a significant rise in anti-South Asian hate online, coinciding with the political prominence of Kamala Harris and Usha Vance. Published this week, the report titled Empowered/Imperiled: The Rise of South Asian Representation and Anti-South Asian Racism, highlights a disturbing increase in hate directed toward these communities between January 2023 and August 2024.

Alarming surge of hate: The report found that anti-South Asian slurs in extremist online spaces doubled within a year, surging from approximately 23,000 to over 46,000 by August 2024. During this period, South Asians experienced the highest volume of anti-Asian online hostility, with threats of violence reaching alarming levels—973 incidents reported in August alone, 75% of which targeted South Asian communities. According to Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Manjusha Kulkarni, “The wave of hate that South Asian communities are facing today is extremely alarming.”
Political figures targeted: The reported increase in hate coincides with far-right rhetoric that has recently targeted South Asian political figures. Harris has faced a barrage of racist and sexist attacks throughout her campaign, while Usha Vance has been hit with racist comments from supporters of Donald Trump. “This xenophobia hasn’t appeared out of thin air,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “We can clearly trace it back to hateful rhetoric used by people in positions of power.” Figures like Ann Coulter have notably fueled the fire by making derogatory remarks about Indian American candidates such as Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, with Coulter even telling Haley to “go back to [her] own country.

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