Sanjeev Joshipura
The recent news of four Indian-origin women being harassed and abused with vile racial slurs in Plano, TX, has sent shock waves through the Indian American community. The viral video captures the unreal encounter of four friends facing a tirade in a suburban parking lot, following their quiet dinner meet-up. We at Indiaspora strongly condemn this racial attack and reiterate our commitment to fighting discrimination and prejudice in all its forms.
We stand together as the Indian American community as we grapple with this and the other recently recorded hostile incident in Fremont, CA where there was a virulent attack of a customer in a Taco Bell. The fact that these episodes have happened in two entirely different communities raises red flags about patterns of aggression against Indian Americans. Executive Director Sanjeev Joshipura added, “We at Indiaspora are committed to ensuring that our community is proactive in responding with concerted action against perpetrators of wanton aggression.”
As we monitor the process of justice, which is underway in Texas, we see this as an occasion for our community to send a strong message of solidarity. We stand with members of any community who have faced these attacks of hate crime or hate speech so that no one has to feel alone in facing such trauma. We want the authorities and society to know that these individual hate crimes affect larger communities and should be treated with urgency.
The contributions of Indian Americans as immigrants to the US have been widely recognized, but those accolades feel less gratifying in the face of such episodes. As most of us acknowledge, systemic racism stands against the values of this great nation. We at Indiaspora ask our community to be vigilant and stand up to any form of intimidation and aggression. These acts should be reported to authorities and community leaders to ensure that no abuser walks away with impunity.
Indiaspora, a nonprofit organization, is a network of global Indian origin leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for good by providing a platform to collaborate, build community engagement, and catalyze social change.
Also Read: Indian American charged with hate crime against another Indian American
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