The Illinois Democrat calls the Texas Republican’s social media post racist and xenophobic as backlash grows over comments about South Asian students
US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has condemned a social media post by Texas Republican politician Bo French targeting South Asian students at the University of Texas, describing the remarks as racist and xenophobic.
French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, shared photographs of South Asian students celebrating a University of Texas Longhorns football victory. He presented the students’ presence as evidence that Americans were being “displaced by foreigners”, drawing criticism from political leaders and members of the Indian-American community.
Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat representing Illinois, said French’s comments were part of a wider pattern of hostility towards South Asian Americans.
“Bo French’s xenophobic hate toward South Asian students is disgraceful,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement issued on September 13. He added that the students were cheering for their university and had been targeted based solely on their appearance.
“South Asian Americans are as American as anyone else,” he said, arguing that such rhetoric had no place in US politics or society
The controversy has also prompted criticism from Republican leaders in Texas. Senator John Cornyn denounced French’s remarks, warning that intolerance and racism could damage the Republican Party. Other Republican lawmakers, including Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Representatives Jeff Leach and Lacey Hull, also criticised the post and called for its removal.
French, however, defended his comments and responded angrily to some of his Republican critics.
The dispute comes amid broader concerns over anti-Indian and anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States. Krishnamoorthi has repeatedly spoken out against racial discrimination and urged Indian-Americans to take a stronger role in public life.
In July, he and Congressman Shri Thanedar called on the Indian-American community to contest elections at all levels of government, stressing the importance of political representation in tackling prejudice.
The latest controversy has renewed debate over the treatment of immigrant communities and the role of racial rhetoric in American politics.
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