‘Yes, Frisco has changed’: Indian-American woman speaks out at U.S. city council meeting over racial attacks on H-1B
The most recent council meeting in Frisco, Texas (February 17) once again turned into a game of blaming India for the city’s changing face, with speakers calling for H-1B visas and an Indian takeover. Speaker Vinny Patel, who is of Indian descent, stood up against blatant racism and suggested the council only allow speakers from Frisco. “There have been several people who have expressed concerns about how the city has changed over the last 10, 20 years. I want to acknowledge those concerns,” the woman said. “Frisco has changed the way they describe it. It’s no longer a suburban town, and the changes can be uncomfortable, especially for those who have watched it grow over time. I also understand the concerns about rapid growth and mass migration from certain communities. What I don’t fully understand is that expectations for policy changes depend on who should live here,” said Patel. “As far as I know, there are no laws or quotas on how many people from any one community can live in a city or community. I believe that’s intentional.”Patel said her request to the City Council was simply to allow verified Frisco residents to speak at the meeting. The suggestion comes as anti-H-1B activists have stormed council meetings since the last meeting and targeted what they called an “Indian takeover” of Frisco. At Tuesday’s meeting, a former Frisco resident claimed to have uncovered a major real estate scam perpetrated by H-1B individuals in Texas. While she no longer lives in Frisco, her children do and they have been affected by the massive cultural change, the spokesperson said. The speaker said she witnessed firsthand how an H-1B rented out a home, but on moving day, a friend of that H-1B came and moved in — without proper verification, as the first H-1B went through the verification process. Once an Indian comes in to rent an apartment, they post an ad on a Facebook group specifically for Indians, so only Indians can get an apartment in Frisco.
