We Must Counter Hindus4Trump Propaganda and Elect Joe Biden as the Next U.S. President
- With the large influence that Hindus have on this election, the right choice must be made.
With the recent announcement that over 250 Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders had endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, many assume that most Indian Americans tend to lean left, yet the truth is that a stronghold of President Trump is Hindu Americans.
DNC Chair Tom Perez recently stated that âAsian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the electorate and mobilizing AAPIs will be decisive in delivering Democratic victories across the country.â This need to draw more Asian Americans to the Democratic Party couldnât be more urgent as many Hindus who have previously voted Democrat are now shifting their support to the Trump candidacy.
On July 20, over 100,000 Indian Americans reportedly tuned in to watch a virtual Trump rally and support his reelection bid. Organizations like Hindus4Trump and Americans4Hindus are drawing South Asian American Hindus towards the Trump campaign. With Trumpâs vocal support of Indian Prime Minister Modi, a right-wing Hindu nationalist, many BJP supporters flock to the 45th POTUS. Many Hindu Americans cite Trumpâs opposition to China as a reason for their support, as India and China continue to face off at their border. Though the number of Hindus who support Trump seems to be growing, this group is not a reflection of the majority of Indians in the United States.Â
For most Indian Americans, the notion of supporting Trump is appalling. Since he was elected, hate crimes against South Asians have drastically increased, making South Asian Americans fear for their lives.
For most Indian Americans, the notion of supporting Trump is appalling. Since he was elected, hate crimes against South Asians have drastically increased, making South Asian Americans fear for their lives. A notable incident occurred on Feb. 22, 2017, when Adam Purinton, shot two Indian men, Alok Madasani and Srinivas Kuchibhotla, while they were dining at a Kansas restaurant, killing Kuchibhotla. Before opening fire, Purinton yelled racial slurs at Madasani and Kuchibhotla, leading to him being escorted from the building by restaurant staff. While grieving the death of her husband, Kuchubhotlaâs widow also faced deportation as her visa was tied to her husbandâs, highlighting another issue faced by Indian Americans under this administration, immigration.
On June 22, Trump signed an executive order suspending H-1B and other visas until the end of 2020, as well as extending the green card ban he enacted in April through the end of the year. With 75 percent of these H-1B visas going to Indians every year, South Asians are the hardest hit by the order. These visas bring in skilled immigrant workers, and with more than 17 million jobs lost during the pandemic, these workers are needed to help the economy recover.Â
In contrast to President Trump, Joe Biden has outlined steps and policies that he will implement to actively support the Asian American community. From ensuring that resources, health care, and government services are available to those with limited English proficiency to prioritizing the prosecution of hate crimes, Bidenâs campaign has listened to input from the South Asian community and taken action.
During his time as vice president, âAnti-Hinduâ and âAnti-Sikhâ were added to the Department of Justiceâs hate crime reporting categories. In terms of immigration, Biden plans to reform the temporary visa system and provide a path to citizenship for all immigrants. As the election approaches, it is more important than ever that Hindu Americans consider which presidential candidate will truly keep them safe and allow them to prosper in this country as the influence of Asian American voters continues to grow.
Ishani Peddi is a rising senior at Starrâs Mill High School in Peachtree City, Georgia. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to Georgia last year. She has been writing as long as she can remember and published a fictional work in middle school. A passionate poet, who has won numerous literary competitions, Ishani is involved in various clubs and organizations within her school and community. She is the Communications Director for the Georgia High School Democrats, the Vice President of the Starrâs Mill High School Young Democrats, a Civil Air Patrol Cadet, and an AAPIs for Biden Intern, to name a few.
Really… this is the very definition of misleading the public. You claim Indians shouldn’t be supporting Trump just because you don’t like it? Stop playing the victim card. We don’t condone acts of hatred, but those who do hate are no representative of the beliefs. Make no mistake, Biden has shown his racist remarks and colors. The Democratic party was the institution that perpetuated slavery, be it north or south. Hindus see Trump as our leader for his improving ties with India, hard line on china, respecting the police, and helping us economically. We are not concerned about H1-B visas for we know the amount of unqualified people who use it to cheat the system. We are in a pandemic where Americans are losing jobs and we need to protect them first before going abroad. No one is banning them entirely.
Don’t try to increase the divide… be smart and look at facts and be impartial.
Is this a comedy piece? Arre yaar have you gone pagal??? I mean look at how many people thought this article was silly and a joke. Had there been a dislike button, then maybe that would have been overwhelming too. My niece sent me this and this is crazy yaar. I mean what were you thinking in writing this? WHo do you think you are to question and attack people for their beliefs when they don’t harm anyone or anything except for your agenda.
So are you saying we shouldn’t support someone who supports Hindus? Do you think we should abandon our cultural beliefs because they don’t match with your beliefs? We respect our heritage and our beliefs, and we will support such people. Not people who talk about Kashmir without knowing context. Be smarter next time you write.
She’s not even in college, which explains this vapid puff piece. Does she even know how to do research? She missed a couple of important reasons that I, as a former Democrat, now living in Florida, a swing state, will be voting for Trump: +anti Hindu sentiments rampant in the Democratic Party. In the Democratic Party’s bid to win Michigan, which has a sizeable Muslim population, they have accused India, and hence, Hindus of being Islamophobic! Fools like Talib and Omar, who probably can’t even locate Kashmir on a map, have labelled India as the site of religious persecution of Muslims! Joe Biden, the fool, has championed their anti Kashmir, anti CAA and anti NRC policy, while,hypocritically ignoring that Pakistan is currently, and in the past, ethnically cleansing its Hindu, Sikh and Christian minority populations! Does this little child, who has taken it upon herself, to lecture the rest of us voting, tax payers even understand Indian history? Someone should ask tehe child who wrote this article (and Biden and Harris, for that matter), what they think about the Kashmiri pandits and if they even know that Hindu Kashmiri pandits faced genocide and are to this day displaced, in order for Kashmir to become what it is today–a breeding ground for anti Hindu, anti national terrorists who take the lives of patriotic jawans regularly. The writer should understand that this community is an informed community and we base on votes on results not politics, platitudes and identity politics. I know no Indian American in Florida voting for Biden, though they all voted for Obama. The Democrats have miscalculated, and did so badly, when they sided with the likes of Omar and Talib and their anti India and anti-Hindu agenda. Go home sweetie and open a history book before you decide to “write” an opinion piece.