Anti-South Asian hate speech on X rose 240% from January 2024 to June 2026, CSOH report finds

September 29, 2026 at 03:05 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Hate speech against Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis in the United States rose sharply online, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) published on Sunday. The monthly volume of hate posts on X increased 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026, from 12,904 to 43,843. The report traces the surge to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, economic anxiety, and the community's growing visibility.

Key Facts

The monthly volume of hate posts on X rose 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026, from 12,904 to 43,843.
Researchers identified more than 542,000 hateful posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026 alone.
Nearly half of the hate posts on X accused South Asians of invading the US, stealing jobs or threatening the country demographically.
The derogatory slur "pajeet" and its variants appeared in 30 percent of hateful posts on X and 45 percent on fringe platforms.
Indians account for more than 70 percent of H-1B visa holders, a programme the report identifies as a major flashpoint.

Report Methodology

The report, titled "The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States", was published by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) on Sunday. Researchers used the United Nations definition of hate speech and tracked recurring anti-South Asian slurs and narratives online. They reviewed posts to exclude criticism that did not meet the UN threshold. The analysis covered the social media platform X and fringe platforms.

Drivers of the Surge

The report points to the H-1B visa programme, which allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers, as a major flashpoint. Indians account for more than 70 percent of H-1B visa holders. Researchers linked several spikes in anti-South Asian hate to political fights over the programme, such as when Trump imposed a $100,000 payment requirement on certain new H-1B petitions in September 2025. The report states that such actions serve a powerful symbolic function, reinforcing the hostility of Trump's base toward South Asians.