No letup in steep rise of crimes against Hindus across cities; white supremacists, Christians’ attacks mount, Radical Muslims make merry.
CIHS Editorial Team
There’s been a notable rise in anti-Hindu sentiment across United States that often manifested as Hinduphobia. This escalation in particular has been starkly manifested since 2023.
Hinduphobic incidents include hate crimes, vandalism of Hindu temples, online harassment and broader racism targeting Indian Americans (many of whom are Hindus).
As per data compiled by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crime incidents touched a whopping 11,679 in 2024, a slight dip from 11,862 in 2023. But still, crimes against Hindus doubled from 5,843 incidents reported in 2015.
While anti-Hindu crimes represent a small fraction of total religious hate (behind anti-Jewish and anti-Sikh incidents), they have more than doubled in some periods, with 25 occurrences in 2022 alone compared to prior years.
These crimes are no longer isolated or subtle. Rather, they are reflection of broader changes in internal politics in United States, demographic concerns and geopolitical narratives regarding Bharat.
Indian Americans have been in focus of greater overt racism, xenophobia and political scapegoating in US last few years, especially in the last few months. Previously coded language has evolved into open animosity in online communities, public places, campuses and political rallies.
This trend is not unique; it is connected to global geopolitical narratives about India, demographic concerns, broader changes in American politics.
Over last ten years, Indian Americans have been one of the most significant immigrant communities in US. There has been a noticeable increase in racially motivated attacks and targeted political rhetoric in tandem with their growing representation in academia, high technology, commercial sector and government. This analysis examines the causes, trends and ramifications from a strategic and policy-focused standpoint.
A disproportionate number of Indian Americans are successful in a range of areas like academics, technology, medicine and finance. Socio-political psychology research demonstrates that when a minority group is viewed as culturally or economically superior, dominant groups frequently display worry.
Resentment has grown in some societal groups as a result of growing public success of Bharatiya Americans that led to heightened feelings of displacement and competitiveness.
US political spectrum is exerting pressure from two extremes:
- Far-right groups portray Indian Americans as economically threatening and culturally alien.
- Far-left identity activists are increasingly using narratives centered on caste, “Hindu nationalism,” and foreign political interference to stigmatize Bharatiya American people and institutions.
The ideological differences notwithstanding, convergence of these narratives produce a situation in which Indian Americans are simultaneously delegitimized, othered and made jointly accountable for intricate international issues.
Due to its growing strategic and economic prominence, Bharat has now become point of discussion about technology alliances, global governance and Bharat-Pacific security.
Bharatiya Americans are increasingly being subjected to anti-Indian prejudice whether it comes from rival geo-political blocks, intellectual groups or foreign propaganda.
Regardless of their citizenship or personal ties, Bharatiya diaspora members are assumed to be unofficial representatives of Bharat’s policy or ideological extensions of New Delhi.
Indians are frequently harassed because of their ethnic look or supposed faith, as per documented occurrences including racial slurs, assaults and intimidation. These activities frequently combine animosity based on race, faith and geopolitics, demonstrating multifaceted forms of prejudice.
In California, a hotspot for such incidents, reported anti-Hindu hate crimes hit a record eight in 2023 including temple desecrations. The state’s “CA vs. Hate” hotline launched in 2023, verified 24 acts of anti-Hindu bias in the first year. About 23 per cent of all faith hate incidents are reported though Hindus comprise a smaller share of the population.
Experts attribute this surge to several factors: geopolitical tensions (e.g., India-related issues like Khalistan separatism), online amplification via platforms like X (formerly Twitter), economic grievances tied to H-1B visas (where Indians are primary beneficiaries) and spillover from broader nativism and white supremacist rhetoric.
Offline, this has deepened divides within South Asian communities with Hindus reporting conflation of anti-India activism and caste politics as triggers. Advocacy groups like Coalition of Hindus of North America (COHNA) and Hindu American Foundation highlight “double standard” in addressing Hinduphobia.
In over an year till November 2025, anti-Hindu attacks often targeted temples and cultural symbols, with graffiti like “Hindus go back” or anti-India slogans linked to pro-Khalistan extremism. Here’s a selection of documented cases:
- September 18, 2024: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Newark, CA, defaced with anti-Hindu graffiti including “Hindus go back.” This was the second such incident at a BAPS temple in eight days.
- September 25, 2024: Another BAPS Mandir in Sacramento, CA, vandalized with “Hindus go back!” amid PM Modi’s US visit.
- June 18, 2025: ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, UT, targeted in a hate crime with multiple gunshots fired during devotees’ presence.
- October 2025: White supremacist groups harassed worshippers outside Hindu temples in Texas; separate reports of slurs and threats in Virginia (e.g., violence threats referencing Bharatanatyam dance).
- November 2025: Offline protests in Irving, TX with signs like “Don’t India My Texas” and “Deport H-1B Visa Scammers”; a Florida city council member censured for calling mass deportation of Indians.
Online, a July–September 2025 analysis found surge in anti-Indian racism on X including xenophobic memes and slurs amplified post-Deepawali, festival of lights. Recent X discussions (e.g., November 16, 2025) highlighted far-right rhetoric like “Go celebrate your foreign gods back home in India. America is a Christian nation.”
The rise in hate crimes in California is deepening a divide between Hindus and Sikhs.
- Shared Vulnerability: Both Hindus and Sikhs have reported a rise in hate crimes and bias. Sikhs reported six hate crimes in 2023, highest number since the state began displaying that data in 2014.
- Transnational Conflict: Some Hindu groups believe they are being targeted by “pro-Khalistan extremism” (a secessionist movement for independent Sikh state in India) and cited temple vandalizations as examples of harassment. Anti-India graffiti at Newark temple hailed secessionist movement for country’s Sikh minority.
- Political Disagreement: Right-leaning Hindu groups opposed state bills intended to prohibit caste discrimination and another that would have named Bharat as a sponsor of international political repression. Sikh groups supported both measures and disputed Hindu groups’ characterization of modern separatist movement.
Coordination of harassment directed at Indian American activists, academics, business owners and public figures occurs via digital media. These campaigns combine:
- Racist clichés
- Foreign influence accusations
- Generalization based on caste
- Labeling based on ideology (like “nationalists,” “Hindutva supporters,” etc.)
Troll networks, extreme forums and occasionally non-state actors, trying to influence diaspora politics, all contribute to spread of such myths.
H1-B criticism morphed into online Hinduphobia and anti-Indian racism. Then city council members and political candidates began calling for mass deportations.
Threat Context & Motivation
Open targeting of Bharatiya Americans is not considered scattered or fringe hostility but a coherent, expanding white nationalist and Christian nationalist project.
- Exclusionary Goal: This effort aims to push Indian and South Asian Americans behind shadows, treating them “as guests at best, intruders at worst”. The attacks target very notion that these groups belong fully in United States especially in public and visible ways.
- Faith Flashpoint: Hindu visibility such as Diwali celebrations at White House or Hindu American officials speaking openly about their traditions draws intense rage from Christian nationalist right. To Christian nationalists, Hindu practices (e.g., lighting diyas in a federal building) are profound theological challenge, calling into question the idea that one faith can claim the state as its own, as they define Americanness as white and Christian.
- Broad Target: While Hindu visibility is a flashpoint, the overall project aims to exclude all non-Christian religious communities (Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Indigenous) from the public square. Researchers emphasize that attacks documented on X target all Indian-origin persons and are anti-Indian, not just anti-Hindu or ‘Hinduphobic’.
Political & Immigration Triggers
Recent surge in anti-Indian sentiment has been linked to several high-profile political events:
- Trump Appointments: Appointment of Indian-origin technologist Sriram Krishnan as Artificial Intelligence advisor in Trump administration and Vivek Ramaswamy’s involvement in leading Department of Government Efficiency, triggered an “unprecedented outpouring of unequivocally anti-Indian racist hatred” on X.
- Immigration Debate: H-1B visa programme that largely benefits Indian nationals is in constant focus of anti-Indian bigotry. Far-right narratives depict Indian workers as “cheating the system” and “stealing American jobs”.
- Indian American Conservatives: Prominent Bharatiya American conservatives such as Vivek Ramaswamy, Kash Patel and Dinesh D’Souza who have aligned with the political right are now facing explicit racist slur from the very base they courted. Their Hinduness and skin colour are seen as “disqualifying marks” by white nationalist element of the right.
Digital Threat Landscape (Platform X)
Platform X has been identified as a significant vector that amplifies anti-Indian or anti-Bharat hate where researchers documented a surge of anti-Indian sentiment over last one year.
- Scale of Hate: In October alone, researchers recorded nearly 2,700 posts promoting racism and xenophobia against Indians and Indian Americans.
- Engagement & Amplification: A sample of 128 hateful posts between December 22, 2024 and January 3, 2025 amassed a total of 138.54 million views on X. The posts receiving highest engagement often featured anti-India content.
Verified Accounts: The vast majority of accounts documented promoting this hate were verified (subscribed to X Premium), with 64 out of 85 accounts displaying a blue badge, suggesting that the platform’s paid service amplifies hateful voices.
Racist Narratives and Tropes
Hate speech against Indian Americans on X often combines generic stereotypes about immigrants with specific tropes targeting Indians.
| Narrative/Trope | Description |
| Demographic Threat/Invasion | Positioning Indian immigration as an “invasion” or threat to white nationhood, often linking to the “Great Replacement Theory”. Responses to Diwali greetings told people to “go back home” and insisted, “this is America, we don’t do this”. |
| Cultural Inferiority/Unhygienic | Stereotypes depicting Indians as dirty, unhygienic, or culturally backward, often referencing public defecation, cow dung, or cow urine. Posts implying that Indians are intellectually inferior have also been documented, sometimes by comparing IQs. |
| H-1B Cheats/Job Stealers | Claims that Indians obtain H-1B visas with fake degrees, or that they are scammers who are depriving Americans of high-paying jobs. |
| Slurs and Dehumanisation | Use of derogatory terms like “pajeet” (a slur directed broadly at those of Indian origin, particularly Sikh men, originating on 4chan) to bypass content moderation filters. |
Anti-Indian attitudes fostered online are translating into real-world hostility, which researchers suggest could inspire violence.
- Public Protests: In Irving, Texas, three masked men staged a roadside protest carrying signs that read “Don’t India My Texas,” “Deport H-1B Visa Scammers,” and “Reject Foreign Demons”.
- Hate Crimes and Vandalism: California reported a record eight anti-Hindu hate crimes in 2023, including the vandalization of three Hindu temples. This included the Newark Shri Swaminarayan Temple, which was defaced with anti-India graffiti. Separately, white supremacist groups have been reported to be harassing people outside Hindu temples in Texas.
- Verbal Abuse and Threats: Racist incidents suggest that anti-immigrant rhetoric is inspiring hostility, including threats to call ICE to get Indian Americans deported, and accosting individuals with slurs while telling them to “go home”.
The targeting of Indian Americans is also fueling a schism within the political right, sometimes referred to as a “MAGA civil war”.
- The Divide: The conflict pits the “OG Maga” (anti-immigrant hardliners like Laura Loomer and Stephen Miller, who root opposition in race and white supremacy) against the “New Maga” (Tech Bros like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are migrants or sons of migrants and support high-skilled migration like the H-1B visa).
- Racist Backlash: Despite their alignment, Indian American political figures are rejected by the far-right core, demonstrating that proximity to power does not fundamentally alter how they are viewed when anxieties about race and religion are activated. This forces them to confront the reality that racism is directed at all people of color and minority groups.
- Leadership Response: Prominent political figures, including Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance (whose wife is Indian American), have done little to quell the racist, nativist, and anti-immigrant rhetoric proliferating on the right.
The basic underpinnings of a healthy, diverse society are undermined when open racism against a high-achieving minority, such as Indian Americans, becomes normalised. This is because it erodes inter-ethnic trust, fosters suspicion amongst communities and weakens intercultural resilience. Unchecked propagation of hostile narratives distorts campus and workplace cultures, making them less inclusive, safe and able to draw in top talent from around the world.
Such persistent animosity has real long-term socioeconomic repercussions and is not just a social issue given the significant contribution of Indian Americans to STEM disciplines, healthcare, research and innovation. It might deter future talent streams, reduce the ability to collaborate and jeopardise the competitiveness of the country as a whole, which depends on the prosperity and well-being of immigrant communities.
Hostility towards the Indian diaspora is not limited to interpersonal conflicts; it affects every aspect of international relations. The human linkages that have historically maintained international goodwill are weakened when communities of Indian descent feel singled out, which causes conflict in public diplomacy. Strategic technology collaborations, where trust, talent flow and cooperative innovation are critical, may also be strained.
With diaspora safety becoming more and more entwined with India’s global strategic posture, such a milieu eventually runs the risk of impacting the bilateral political environment itself. Bilateral trust may naturally be limited if Indian Americans believe they are being singled out politically or lack institutional support, which would make cooperation more difficult at the very time when strengthening connections would be most advantageous for both countries.
An analogy for understanding the complex nature of this targeted racism: The rise in open hostility toward Indian Americans can be seen as the moment a security system’s buffer layer fails. For years, the ‘model minority’ myth acted as a perceived buffer, offering temporary acceptance to some high-achieving Indian Americans.
However, when the underlying xenophobic and white nationalist operating system is activated, it immediately identifies all non-white, non-Christian users, even those who tried to ally with the administration, as foreign threats, reverting to its foundational programming: exclusion and attack.