US report reveals surge in anti-South Asian hate speech
Centre for the Study of Organised Hate reports 240 percent increase in hate speech on X since January 2024
Quick Look
A report by the Washington-based Centre for the Study of Organised Hate indicates a 240 percent rise in anti-South Asian hate speech on X between 2024 and 2026, linking the surge to immigration policies, economic anxiety, and increased community visibility.
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Why It Matters
The report analyzes hate speech trends on social media platforms in the context of shifting US political and immigration environments. It highlights the impact on both the general South Asian community and prominent political figures.
Anti-South Asian hate in the United States has spiked since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office for a second term, with racist, dehumanising and xenophobic slurs and narratives proliferating across both mainstream and fringe social media platforms, a US-based report has revealed.
The report, titled “The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States”, by the Washington-based Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH), found that the monthly volume of hate towards South Asians in the United States on the social media platform X rose 240 per cent between January 2024 and June 2026, from 12,904 posts to 43,843.
The hate speech is largely aimed at Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, according to the report, which traces the surge to Trump’s immigration crackdown, economic anxiety and the South Asian community’s growing visibility in American life.
Similarly, South Asian political figures from both major US political parties have faced racist and xenophobic attacks, the report found, including Kamala Harris, former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee; Usha Vance, current second lady of the US; Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim mayor of New York City; and Democratic representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Open Questions
- What specific moderation actions will X take in response to these findings?
- Are there legislative plans to address this rise in hate speech?
