How H-1B visa controversy in US turned into Hinduphobic propaganda

Millions of illegal migrants were walking across the southern borders of the US during the past few years. This is one of the most controversial aspects of the current President Joe Biden’s policy, which majorly led to popular dissatisfaction leading to the election of Donald Trump. This was also one of the central aspects of the election campaign in 2024. However, in a completely unrelated legal immigration issue, the H-1B issue became a heated controversy during the past week.

The H1B controversy caught many by surprise. The timing as well as the issue itself was unexpected, as the focus of immigration up to that point remained focused on illegal immigration on the southern borders. So, the switch to legal immigration as the main problem overlooking the illegal migrations on the southern borders was unimaginable. It began overnight on one of the busiest family holidays in America, the day of Christmas. The immediate cause noted was from social media posts of a prominent Republican Party activist soon after the appointment of Sriram Krishnan as AI (Artificial Intelligence) Advisor to the incoming President Trump’s administration.

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It is not clear if the controversial posts originated from the Republican Party activist or if she had simply amplified some of the mild online controversy at that time. However, immediately as soon as the initial euphoria on the appointment of Sriram Krishnan and H-1B issues subsided, numerous controversial theories began to be circulated. The foremost controversy is that the far-right MAGA (Make America Great Again) base was shifting away from the Republican Party due to their dissatisfaction with legal immigration, even though the election was fought on the issue of controlling illegal immigration through closing the southern borders.

The second controversy cited was that the Democrats were trying to dislodge some of the Republican popular base through disgruntled propaganda to shift the Republican popular base towards the Democratic party. The last reason cited was that online social media propaganda was launched aimed at derailing India and US relations in view of the impending visit of the foreign minister of India to Washington, DC, during the last week of December.

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Whatever might be the innate reason for the sudden eruption of online hatred against a single group, specifically Indians (Hindus), it must be a reflection of suppressed innate anger against the most successful ethnic religious group in the US. This might have surfaced as a backlash against the perceived role of Indians in the Trump administration. The two aspects that unmistakably dominate the online hate campaign are xenophobic hatred against Indians and directed attacks on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Even though tinged with racist tirades against Indian H-1B workers in general, the social media controversy quickly descended into anti-Hindu rhetoric and Hinduphobia online; it shouldn’t be missed that the controversy ultimately aims to attack Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as a way to spread misinformation on the incoming DoGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Although it is important not to ignore the racist rhetoric that surfaced in the middle of this controversy, it is also important to keep in mind that once Trump takes charge in January, this controversy might erupt into a vicious battle on the Hill due to the high-stakes government positions that the DOGE might aim to cut. Therefore, it is important for all parties involved or those accused in this H1B controversy to practice patience and exercise caution when getting involved with any online propaganda/controversy.

Another reason the issue got unmanageable online was that some bots and engagement-farming accounts began reposting memes directly insulting Hindu sentiments. The H1B controversy, which was aimed at cornering Elon Musk with the rhetoric of importing cheap workers, and Vivek Ramaswamy, for belonging to the ethnic group that is the beneficiary of the largest number of H1B visas, quickly became a xenophobic campaign against Hindus. However, numerous instances of Hinduphobia are noted on online platforms, and any complaints of hate crimes against Hindus are lacking this week. Therefore, there is a disconnect between the concerted hate propaganda online and experiences elsewhere in the nation. This discrepancy might indicate there might be an insidious plan underneath this vicious H-1B propaganda.

The controversy is still brewing on online platforms, including social media. Even though the initial vehemence decreased, attacks on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy continue online and become more vicious, attacking their personal and work background information. This shows that the H1B controversy has more to do with attacking Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as the incoming co-chairs of the DoGE, which aims to cut spending and control the mismanaged administration that was the original cause of dissatisfaction among the masses. This should bring the most necessary reforms and bring transparency to government administration.

Another aspect that the incoming Trump administration needs to attend to immediately upon its arrival is to reform the current legal immigration system and stop illegal migrations on the southern border of the US. The online controversy seems to entwine both illegal migrations and legal immigration together in a broad generalisation. Each nation defines its national interests and institutes its legal immigration processes. It is important to have a suitable immigration process that benefits the nation in this competitive modern global world.

Whatever the conspiracy theories were expected to do would come to nil when President-elect Trump assumes charge on January 20, 2025. Trump, a long-time businessman, is not easily swayed by propaganda. Trump will start with a clean slate with his incoming administration as expected, which contains many outsiders who vowed to resize the bloated administrative machinery of Washington, DC, popularly called the three-letter acronym departments.

The author is Professor of History and Religious Studies, Department of Social Sciences, Shawnee State University, the US. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.