Following Sriram Krishnan's appointment as an AI advisor to the Donald Trump administration, there has been an alarming rise in anti-India sentiment on American social media. A video going viral on X is part of that racist sentiment. It shows an American man getting signatures from Indians in the US to “stop the spread of H1B virus.”
“Getting Indians to sign to stop the spread of the H-1B Virus,” X user Alex Rosen wrote. In the video, he goes to various shops managed by Indians and asks them to sign a petition to stop the spread of “H1B virus.”
Also Read: Indian fans face racism with 'where's your visa' chants at MCG during India vs Australia test. Video
When asked what the symptoms are, the man answers that they include “diarrhoea” and “smell”, adding that it “originates from India.” Towards the end, he asks Donald Trump to “Man up”.
Take a look at the video:
Social media is divided:
Since being posted, the video has collected over one million views, with some polarizing comments. While some are showing support for the man, others are slamming him for being a racist.
{{/usCountry}}Since being posted, the video has collected over one million views, with some polarizing comments. While some are showing support for the man, others are slamming him for being a racist.
{{/usCountry}}An individual wrote, “You're a horrible little man. Indians are hard-working people, and America wouldn't exist without them. My wife is Indian, and she is the smartest, most beautiful, and hard-working person I know. Yes, that includes white people.” Another added, “You’ve done heroic things in the past, but this is BY FAR the most heroic. I applaud you, good sir.”
A third shared, “You have problems, man. This debate is not about hate against South Asians or East Asians, it is about love for Americans.” A fourth posted, “Epic troll.”
Also Read: Indian man in Canada says crimes against women should increase: ‘Need more cases like RG Kar’
For the past few months, tensions surrounding H-1B visas have been escalating, and the perception of Indian immigrants in the United States is changing. The H1-B holders are facing extreme backlash from people in the US; this rising hate is fueled by the extremist views that the visa holders are “stealing” American jobs.