Texas, USA (CU)_ Raja Krishnamoorthi, Indian-American representative, has asked the Dallas police to bring charges against a lady who was spotted harassing and abusing four women of Indian heritage in Texas. According to Mr Krishnamoorthi, “Such bigoted attacks motivated by racism, xenophobia, and other forms of hate victimize not only those directly targeted by them, but also broader communities through creating an atmosphere of fear and danger”.
Following the incident, Esmeralda Upton from Plano, Texas, was detained for the racially motivated physical and verbal attack of four ladies in a parking lot. The woman describes herself as Mexican-American in the video. The viral footage shows the woman saying, “I hate you Indian. All these Indians come to America because they want a better life”. In the footage, the woman can be seen yelling at the ladies, saying, “go back to India.” In the video that has gone viral, the woman’s words, “You…people are ruining this country,” left the Indian-American community across the United States in shock.
According to the statement from the Indian-American Congressman, “I’m appalled by the footage of the hate-motivated harassment and assault on four women of Indian descent and urge police to prosecute the woman responsible to the full extent of the law. As our country continues to combat the surge in anti-Asian hate since the beginning of the pandemic, I urge all Americans to come together and prove that our country and our people are better than this”.
Spokesmen of Indian-American organizations and diaspora communities in New England expressed concerns over the recent racial violence. They issued statements condemning the recent incident of anti-Asian violence in Plano, Texas. They said, “We are very disturbed by this and recently increased acts of violence and hate crimes against Indians, South Asians, and Asian Americans in general. We do commend the Plano Police department for responding to the incident with urgency and understanding”. According to them, similar to all other immigrants, Asian-Americans have made tremendous contributions to this great nation despite persistent prejudice based on their accents, race, religion, and notions of leadership and other talents.
According to the organizations, “We believe in the fair treatment of all human beings regardless of age, education level, race, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, nationality, national origin, creed, accent, physical and mental ability, political and religious stance, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, socioeconomic status, veteran status, profession, or any other human differences”. They added, “We unequivocally and unapologetically condemn the divisive forces of hate, inequity, and injustice. We stand united in love and peace and stand against racist, discriminatory, violent acts against any community”.
