Indian-origin entrepreneur and former DOGE member Vivek Ramaswamy’s heartfelt post celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary was marred by a wave of racist and anti-immigration remarks, highlighting growing tensions around the H-1B visa program in the US.
In the post, Ramaswamy shared the story of his first date with his wife, Apoorva, along with pictures of the couple. “In the fall of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student named Apoorva & asked her out on a first date—to head west for a weekend & hike Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. She accepted. We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn about still making it, when she grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, & said we had a lifetime ahead to come back and finish it. 14 years & two kids later, we finally made it back to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary this weekend,” he wrote, alongside photos of the couple at the mountain.
Take a look at the post here:
However, the post quickly drew racist backlash. Several commenters told the couple to “go back to India” and mocked their presence in the US. One wrote, “We would rather you go back to India and explore the hiking trails there,” while another said, “You weren’t built for winter weather.”
{{/usCountry}}However, the post quickly drew racist backlash. Several commenters told the couple to “go back to India” and mocked their presence in the US. One wrote, “We would rather you go back to India and explore the hiking trails there,” while another said, “You weren’t built for winter weather.”
{{/usCountry}}A third snarky remark asked, “Don’t you have mountains in your home country?”
Ramaswamy is the second prominent Indian-origin figure in recent weeks, after Walmart CTO Suresh Kumar, to face racist attacks online amid increasing outrage around immigration and foreign workers.
Ironically, Ramaswamy has publicly criticised the H-1B visa program and advocated for significant reforms. Nonetheless, critics online have accused him of favouring the very system he critiques, based on his Indian identity.
The H-1B visa allows highly skilled foreign workers to live and work legally in the US. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indian nationals accounted for over 70% of all H-1B recipients in fiscal year 2023. The program has long been contentious, with critics arguing it undercuts American jobs.