While the Indian American community has long faced criticism online for its presence in the job and housing markets, a new front has opened up in the culture wars on social media: everyday grocery shopping.A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) that included a video from a Costco in Texas sparked a wave of “invasive” rhetoric and targeted harassment against Indian Americans.“Costco opens first store in New Delhi! Just kidding, this was filmed at a Costco in Texas,” the caption sarcastically read, as the video showed families shopping at Costco. The post quickly became a lightning rod for anti-immigrant sentiment, with one user sharing a photo of a Home Depot about 3 miles away and another claiming three other Costcos in the area looked the same. One user questioned: “Why are we importing millions of people when this country is $39T in debt and real Americans are having a hard time finding jobs and paying basic living expenses.” “I live in North Dallas. I frequent three different Costcos, depending on what part of the city I’m in at the time. All three Costcos are 90% Indian. They all drive brand new Teslas and all live in homes worth at least $600,000. @GregAbbott_TX did this on purpose and, frankly, as a Texas resident, it’s hurtful,” added another.“I can confirm this. What is happening now is that it has really escalated after 2020. Add to that a large number of Chinese. Houston, Dallas, Washington, Austin and the outer suburbs of SA all look like giant construction sites. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new homes have been built in the last few years on former farmland and large tracts of land. Wonder who these people are who moved here? I guess we know now, I bet they were all allowed to vote and appointed to senior positions by a corrupt woke HR department.“Of course Americans and Westerners are being kicked out of their homes,” one user claimed, while adding that similar scenes could be seen at gyms and local grocery stores. “I like people from all over the world. I really do, but living in North Dallas I feel the invasion. It might be tolerable if they want to assimilate, but when they want to change everything, no no thanks. America, love it or leave it,” one wrote.Many blame Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the increase in the number of Indian-American residents in Texas, which has increased by 4,510% in Frisco over the past 20 years. The rhetoric, while intense, illustrates the very real and rapid demographic changes taking place in North Texas’ suburbs. Indians and other Asians make up 33 percent of Frisco’s population, up from 10 percent in 2010, according to a survey conducted by the city. According to Indian Americans, they are contributing to the economy. “When we buy a home, we’re not just buying real estate,” Muni Janagarajan said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “We are funding world-class parks and the Frisco Independent School District, one of the top-rated school districts in Texas, benefiting every child in the city.”However, since early 2026, there have been targeted attacks on Indian presence across the state and cities, particularly Frisco and Plano. Lately, city council meetings have turned into verbal showdowns between right-wingers and Indian-Americans. MAGA residents have been angry about Indians buying homes and finding jobs in the country, while publishing numerous online posts attacking their culture.
