Indian Americans condemn Trump’s ‘racist’ posts targeting Indians, Chinese: ‘Sends a dangerous message’

Indian-American lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for sharing a social media post that used derogatory language about Indians and Chinese people, calling it racist and dangerous amid rising anti-Asian hatred in the United StatesCongressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined Congressmen Ted Lieu and Pramila Jayapal in introducing a House resolution condemning Trump for amplifying a post on Truth Social by conservative radio host Michael Savage on April 22, which sparked a backlash.Lawmakers said the post attacked birthright citizenship while questioning the loyalty of immigrants and invoking stereotypes against Indian Americans and Chinese Americans. The resolution said such comments exacerbate prejudice and discrimination against the Asian American community.Controversy erupted after Trump retweeted a message from conservative radio host Michael Savage on “The Truth Society” during a debate on birthright citizenship. The post, which referred to countries like India and China as “hell” and questioned the loyalty of immigrants, sparked outrage among the Indian-American and Chinese-American communities. One of the most criticized statements said: “The babies here immediately become citizens, and then they bring the whole family in from China or India or some other hellhole on earth.““When President Trump amplifies racist rhetoric against Indian-Americans and Chinese-Americans, it sends a dangerous message at a time when both communities already face hatred and discrimination. The president of the United States should condemn racism, not promote it,” Krishnamoorthy said.“For generations, Indian-Americans and Chinese-Americans have strengthened our communities, grown our economy, served our country, and helped fulfill the promise of America. The president of the United States should respect these contributions and recognize that the people he demonizes are as American as he is,” he added.Liu, who immigrated to the United States as a child, said Asian Americans have historically been treated as outsiders despite their contributions to the country.“From the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II to the current president’s continued amplification of claims that Indian and Chinese immigrants were ‘disloyal’ to this country, the message has often been the same: Asian Americans have always been viewed as perpetual foreigners, no matter where we were born, how long we’ve lived here, or how much we’ve contributed to this country,” he said.He added: “I came to the United States when I was three years old and have dedicated my life to serving my community and my country. Racist, xenophobic rhetoric has no place in America. Immigrants strengthen this country every day, and no amount of hateful rhetoric from a racist president will change that.”Jayapal accused Trump and Republican leaders of using divisive rhetoric to distract from the economic concerns facing Americans.“Trump, his administration and Republicans in Congress have turned to racism and xenophobia as a distraction from failing Americans who cannot afford to pay for gas in their cars or put food on their tables,” she said.She added: “This disgusting, hateful rhetoric promoted by the president of the United States only adds fuel to the fire as anti-Asian hatred is already on the rise.”The resolution also has the support of multiple advocacy groups, including Stop Asian American Hate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, the South Asian Network, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.Community leaders warn rhetoric against immigrants could have real-world consequences. Cynthia Choi, co-founder of STOP AAPI Hate, said Trump’s comments reinforce the idea that Asian Americans are “eternal foreigners.”“When he singles out Chinese and Indian immigrants, he puts all Asian Americans at risk regardless of immigration status. Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with national security. This has nothing to do with policy at all. This is racism and xenophobia disguised as law, and we refuse to let it continue,” she said.