Thanks to Bo French’s racist social media post targeting the ethnicity of students celebrating the University of Texas at Austin’s football win, Texas again is making national and local headlines for anti-South Asian racism. But the state also holds the potential to lead the fight against anti-Asian racism and become a model for the nation. I am a scholar of Asian America who proudly grew up in Texas and has written about Asians in the state. Given our history and our resources, what could be more Texan than, “Don’t mess with (Asians in) Texas?”
Driven in part by economic issues, resentments towards South Asians have reached a fever pitch in the Lone Star State. Conservative Texas politicians and residents have alleged that the H-1B visa program, which lets in highly skilled professionals to work in roles employers have had difficulty filling, is being abused. Because over 70 percent of visa holders are Indian, anger over the program has led to racism against Indians generally and calls for restricting immigration programs specifically.
But more than losing a paycheck, some Texans fear losing their way of life. A sense of religious threat abounds. Residents have filled city council meetings to accuse Hindus and Muslims of immigrating in order to establish Sharia law and replace white Christians. While Islamophobia has been a nationwide problem for years, Texas ranks among the most hostile states. Hindu religious statues have been criticized by some Christians as forms of pagan worship. There is absurd rhetoric online and at city halls of South Asians practicing pedophilia.
There is a broader fear over changes to daily life. Indian Americans are supposedly taking over Dallas-Fort Worth area Costcos, as if no one else can shop there anymore. Even posting dance videos online leads to racist responses on social media. A festive bhangra dance somehow has become a cultural threat. South Asians are accused of being unable—not just unwilling—to assimilate.
Rather than putting out the fire of hate against South Asians, politicians in addition to French, such as former attorney general candidate and now U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Aaron Reitz, often have fanned the flames, such as calling Indians “un-assimilated” and “un-assimilable.” Reitz posted on X in January: “Collin, Dallas, & Harris Counties may soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi, & Hyderabad Counties given how bad the invasion of un-assimilated & un-assimilable Indians has become.”
As in most things, Texas is distinctive relative to other states but not alone. Anti-South Asian racism is acute here but has grown nationwide. Reports of online hate and threats of violence have sharply increased over the past year.
But Texas can be distinctive in another way. The state has a unique history that it can draw upon to lead the fight against such discrimination.
Texas goes beyond preaching religious tolerance. It has been a model for how to balance the “free exercise of religion” with civil protections without going too far. The framing of the law has won over both religious conservatives and the ACLU. Texas also ensured that no one could be punished for their religious memberships or contributions. So it is completely in line with state law and precedent to extend these same protections to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Muslim beliefs. The freedom to gather is all the more necessary as we realize that religious organizations help immigrant communities adjust to their area.
The story of Juneteenth offers another lesson to draw upon. It took a day of national shame, the long-deferred emancipation of slaves, and turned it into an opportunity for recognition and healing. Texas was the first state to officially recognize it, in 1980. Since then, it has become a national holiday for learning, civil rights activism, and festive foods and gatherings.
Taking a source of pain and turning it into one of pride and activism can be an inspiration in this current moment. For South Asians in Texas, such pain includes the murders following 9/11 of two fathers, Vasudev Patel and Waquar Hassan, while working at their stores in Mesquite and Dallas, respectively. Rais Bhuiyan, a gas station attendant, was blinded in one eye by the same mass murderer on September 21, 2001. Despite going into debt due to the ensuing surgeries, his Islamic beliefs led him to forgive the attacker and try (unsuccessfully) to stop his execution. Such magnanimity even led his white supremacist attacker to eventually refer to Bhuiyan as “an example for us all.”
We can call upon the spirit of Juneteenth and turn those tragic episodes into points of remembrance and guidance for today. We have seen the destruction that hate can bring as well as the inspiration that learning and reconciliation can offer. Faith communities, city councils, and others can learn about South Asians’ long history in the United States, tragic hate crimes, and the tenants of diverse religions. Temples and mosques can educate members about their immigration rights and create opportunities for inter-faith collaborations in support of local humanitarian needs.
Helping in this educational effort can be the Museum of Asian Texans, based in Dallas. Practically all museums regarding Asians are dedicated to Asian culture and history. This one, on the other hand, is first and foremost a state history museum. By documenting and sharing stories of Texans of Asian origin, it provides a version of that history that people fail to recognize, much less appreciate.
Learning the origins, accomplishments, and tribulations of Asian communities over time can rebut the premise that South Asians are unassimilable. Moreover, Asian American history can push past the expectation that Asians must lose their culture in order to be worthy citizens. Instead, telling people’s stories can “challenge dominant narratives that erase or flatten Asian American identity in Texas,” as the museum states. There is much to value in the maintenance of differences. We can even come to more fully understand the state and nation.
All of these opportunities will be squandered if people do not have the courage to seize on them. And the hate will continue to grow.
Politicians and public leaders must lean into this version of Texas. Rather than demonize faiths one does not agree with, the Texan thing to do is to defend people’s right to their religious practice. Rather than ignore hate, the Texan thing to do is to recognize and learn from it. Rather than demonize immigrants as forever foreigners, the Texan thing to do is to document their longstanding commitments to the area.
Which Texas do people want to be?
The post How Texas Can Lead in Fighting Anti-Asian Racism appeared first on The Texas Observer.
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