An Indian-American rancher has gone viral after shutting down online trolls who targeted him with racist abuse over a video of him working his land. After uploading the clip, he was hit with a wave of hateful comments questioning his identity as a cowboy. Instead of backing down, he issued a powerful statement emphasising that hate will not stop him from feeding cows or expanding his business. He has now launched a fundraiser to turn the negative remarks into a positive opportunity to buy more land and grow his cattle ranch.
“Folks have thrown a lot of hate my way for being an Indian American cowboy and rancher. Truth is, I never set out to fit anyone’s idea of what a cowboy should look like — I just went to work, raised cattle, and chased a dream. Hate won’t build fences, feed cows, or stop me from putting in the miles. If anything, it’s made me work harder,” Tesh Jennings wrote on Instagram while responding to the hate he received on his video.
He added, “My dream has always been bigger than the hate. I want to buy this piece of land, expand my ranch, raise more cattle, and keep building something that stands for hard work, grit, and determination. That’s what ranching has always meant to me.”
{{/usCountry}}He added, “My dream has always been bigger than the hate. I want to buy this piece of land, expand my ranch, raise more cattle, and keep building something that stands for hard work, grit, and determination. That’s what ranching has always meant to me.”
{{/usCountry}}He also urged social media users to donate to his GoFundMe titled “From Hate to Hope: Help Me Expand My Ranch.”
The description of his mission on his GoFundMe page reads, “Folks have thrown a lot of hate my way for being an Indian American cowboy and rancher.”
It continues, “If you’d like to be part of that journey [expanding his ranch] and help turn something negative into something positive, you can donate to my fundraiser. Every bit of support means a lot, and I truly appreciate everyone who believes in this dream.”
What did the video that sparked the row show?
The video opened with a text insert that read, “Not all Indians code. Some of us wear boots, work cattles, and grow your food.”
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Tesh Jennings; this report will be updated when he responds.)
Following his powerful message to the trolls, a wave of social media users rallied behind him, expressing their solidarity and support.
An individual wrote, “This is the kind of immigrants we want.” Another expressed, “Being you is a blessing. Others just can’t handle it. Let them judge you, and remember their opinions don’t matter in how you grow in your life. They do not have any business to say or judge.”
A third posted, “You are doing awesome. This turned out to be an eye-opener. I love what you do. Maybe one day I'll be a rancher.” A fourth commented, “What you described is literally the American dream.”