The recent discussions surrounding the H-1B visa have exposed the underlying sentiments of neo-Nazis and white nationalists, who have never truly hidden their racist ideologies. These groups have resorted to despicable tactics to demean Indians, Hindus, and Hinduism, all while masquerading as advocates for American rights. Notably, this blatant racism directed at Indians, in specific Hindus, has become increasingly apparent in last few years, which might lead some to be deceived into believing that it is a recent development.
The phrase “The more things change, the more they remain the same” is particularly relevant to the United States and the West, especially in relation to the racists within these countries. Interestingly, an article from 1910 which was carried by multiple American newspapers has been making the rounds online affirming the same. It reflects a similarly outrageous and whiny sentiment that has been observed throughout social media in recent weeks concerning the surge of Indians especially, Hindu immigrants coming to the United States, accompanied by insulting remarks.
The racist article was first highlighted by archival project HindooHistory in a post on X (Now Twitter) in 2021. It is attracting a lot of attention now after the flood of blatant racism during the H1B Visa debate. Following that, OpIndia dug into the archives to find the original piece.
The work titled “Hindoos (Hindus) Continue to Flock to the US” can be described as a vehement diatribe that appears to emanate from the mindset of a member of the Ku Klux Klan or an equally radical white supremacist. The piece began by referring to Indians as unwanted and complained, “No Effort Made at Frisco to Stop Entry of Undesirables, Although Other Ports Bar Them.”
Undesirable to whom? Only, to the likes of the author since it is obvious that these individuals were not considered undesirable by the job creators or the economy of the country otherwise they wouldn’t be allowed or employed there. The article then lashed out, “The dumping place for the scum of the Orient and India is San Francisco.”
The piece merited recognition for its unwavering disdain towards individuals of non-white backgrounds, regardless of their specific ethnicity. The term “Oriental,” used to describe East Asians, has been regarded as a derogatory slur, a fact that obviously held no significance for the xenophobic writer. “From this port the scum is distributed throughout California, Washington and Oregon. The scum of the Orient is the Hindu. Dirty, dressed with yards of filthy white, green or blue cotton bound around the head the Hindu stalks through the streets of the coast cities,” it conveyed.
The writer’s profound contempt for Hindus, perceived as being of lower status than East Asians, was prominently showcased without any reservations. Additionally, the remarks regarding Indian attire exemplify how demeaning terms such as “dot heads” have been normalized by individuals with narrow mindset who are unable to accommodate anything that deviates from their European-centric worldview.
The article, which embodied American values of inclusivity and tolerance, subsequently identified and criticized the individual responsible for allowing Hindus to enter the United States. “He is worst type of immigrant. He is not fit to become a citizen. His very mode of life makes him entirely foreign to the people of the United States, yet thanks to the leniency of the immigration commissioner at the port of San Francisco, Hart H. North, this class of undesirables is flocking by the hundreds into the United States, through San Francisco, with the arrival of every boat from the Orient.”
Overt racism and Hinduphobia disguised as advocacy for American workers
The narrative perpetuated by racists has endured for over a century, as highlighted in the article that accuses Indians and Hindus of usurping American jobs due to the desire of the companies to reduce labor costs. “Why? Because the importation of the Hindu fits in well with the general scheme of the railroads, the big manufacturing plants and big business, to down labor on the coast. If a corporation can get a Hindu to work for $1.50 a day, what’s the use of paying twice that for an American? No use at all, is the answer of the corporations, and so the Hindus continue to arrive in bands. Some of them are deported to their native states in far away India, but the big majority remain here to work for railroads or the labor union baiters.”
The writer suggested that American workers were being systematically sidelined. Unsurpsingly, the racists in 2024 also echoed these same allegations. Although times have changed, the conspiracy theories and victimhood narratives, steeped in blatant racism, remain constant for the xenophobes.
The article then warned, “But the great danger is not so much those who are here; it is those who are coming. India is a large country. It is a country fairly teeming with millions upon millions of emaciated, sickly Hindus who are living, or rather existing, on starvation wages. Therefore the reports from the United States of huge wages to be earned, compared to those paid in their country, has resulted in a steady influx of these Orientals which promises to re-sult in a problem harder to solve than that of the Chinese or the Japanese.”
It is crucial to remember that the piece was published when India was under British occupation and rather than demonstrating empathy for the nation that was subjected to colonization and exploitation in the most brutal manner, it ridiculed the immense suffering endured by Indians, perpetuated by individuals who espoused the same racist beliefs as the author. The hardships and challenges faced by India and its citizens was the legacy of British Raj, the effects of which persist even in the present day and age.
“In India a clerk can be had for $10 a month; a man cook for $3 a month; a maid servant for $1 a month; carpenters, bricklayers, etc. 33 cents a day, etc. The scale of wages is less for a day’s work in India than the average American mechanic or laborer receives per hour. These are the people who are flooding the western states, the people that railroads are welcoming with open arms and furnishing employment to, because they help them solve the problem of paying the American workman starvation wages,” the article reiterated while willfully neglecting to recognize that the issues in India stem from British colonialism and simultaneously failing to regard them as worthy of equal opportunities or even as human beings.
It further expressed, “Charges have been made against the commission of immigration at San Francisco. These charges have resulted in nothing. Demands have been made that this port be closed to the Hindu as are the other ports of the Pacific coast on the grounds that the Hindu is apt to become a public charge and that he practices polygamy. But although this has been found sufficient to stop their entry in other coast ports they continue to flock to San Francisco, where they are distributed around the country in railroad camps, vineyards, foundries, etc.”
Charges of polygamy and more racism
The author selectively attributed the practice of polygamy only to Hindus, neglecting to acknowledge its presence within American society. This practice continues to exist in the country, despite lacking legal recognition. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that other communities, particularly Muslims, also engage in polygamy (even today), yet the author chose to focus exclusively on Hindus. Moreover, while Americans might not officially be polygamous, they including US Presidents have a reputation for extramarital affairs and maintaining multiple romantic relationships.
“When the legislature of California convenes at the next session there will be a big row on over the Hindu. Not only will the Labor party demand that they be excluded but they will also demand that laws be passed prohibiting Asiaties from owning land within the state. California tried to stop Asiatic immigration when she faced the Japanese problem, but the federal government demanded that it be allowed to cope with the situation,” the article complained while promoting the idea of ousting Hindus from the United States, showcasing a glaring example of Hinduphobia intertwined with racial prejudice against all non-Whites.
It then gleefully concluded, “But since the federal government failed to stop that which the laborers think is a menace to them and their families, they are going to take matters in their own hands and fight it out to the bitter end – either to victory or defeat. ‘The Hindu, the Jap, the Chinaman and the rest must go,’ is the slogan of labor. And labor is going to see that they do go, or know the reason why,” while placing its hopes in Labor Party which was equally committed to racist ideologies and hence, promised to deport all non-Americans from the country.
Similar theories being perpetuated in the present day
Numerous white nationalists were observed expressing their distress on social media regarding the perceived loss of American jobs to individuals of Indian descent, revealing their explicit racism and a lack of understanding of the complexities surrounding the issue. Even senior United States senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, didn’t hesitate from turning into an ignorant social media troll to condemn Elon Musk for his support of legal immigration for highly skilled Indians and others to the country.
He claimed, “The main function of the H-1B visa program is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad.”
Vince Dao, an American conservative political commentator who is of Vietnamese and Italian descent called H-1B immigrants as “foreign guest workers” and asked, “So the debate is, should we be importing massive numbers of guest workers to take potential American jobs?”
Alex Schultz could not restrain his latent racism, going so far as to label H-1B visa as a virus and added, “Some sort of deadly contagion you don’t want infecting your body and giving you diarrhea,” in yet another offensive statement against Indians.
Certain individuals, such as Lauren Witzke, did not hid behind to any veiled explanations and openly expressed their racist views.
“American workers are being sold out to India with 85,000 H-1B visas to the tech sector is a massive amount of applicants against Americans,” is how another American conspiracy theorist registered his protest over the issue. “H-1B visas are 72.6% of the time given to Indians,” he further voiced and complained that this was not the outcome he desired when voting for President-elect Donald Trump during the elections.
H1-B visa debate was ignited by Laura Loomer and racists after Donald Trump nominated American-born Indian Sriram Krishnan as senior policy advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Initial conspiracy theories about him were disseminated, which rapidly transformed into a strong opposition against the H-1B visa for Indians. This was followed by derision and insults directed at Hindus and Hinduism. However, a significant number of professionals from the tech industry and other fields voiced their support for Indians, with Donald Trump also lending his support to the H-1B visa and high-skilled immigration.
Conclusion
While societal advancement which occurred over time and the introduction of human rights might have provided a facade to conceal the West’s violent legacies and the crimes committed against others, the fundamental bigotry remained unaltered, rather, it intensified with the passage of time to the point of demented and disturbing behaviour.
Just as colonization is a permanent state of mind instead of merely a spatial idea, superiority complex is likewise deeply rooted. The introduction of new legal frameworks and rapidly changing world cannot improve this prejudicial outlook. A society that condoned acts of murder, rape and subjugation against those with different skin colors does not inherently or completely evolve into a more inclusive and accepting entity, despite any assertions to the contrary.
There will invariably be elements that take pride in and glorify their violent history and perceive others as inferior as well as harbor profound animosity towards them. Remarkably, the events of the past few weeks have starkly illustrated this behavior, even though not all Americans share the same views, as evidenced by those who advocated for the Indians and condemned the racists.
Moreover, not generalizing all H-1B visa protestors, however, it is noteworthy that none of the detractors have tried to address the nitty-gritty of the issue. Their outright complaints, which aim to restrict Indian nationals, especially Hindus, from entering the United States while targeting an entire demographic, reveal much about their underlying sentiments.
