Why the right turned on Indians

At a campaign event in Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for governor, tried to pick up a child standing next to him on stage—and fumbled him. He almost dropped the kid. For most viewers, it was a harmless, relatable moment. Ramaswamy posted a cute photo of himself holding one of his own kids afterward. But the response online was swift and deranged. Posters questioned Ramaswamy's manhood, his Americanness, and said ugly things about his Indian heritage. As writer Zed Gelani explains, "The people who had negative stereotypes about Indians in their minds said, hey, look, the guy can't even pick up a kid. Look at how much of a weakling he is. He can't even act like a normal American."

This is part of a growing strain of anti-Indian racism coming from the online right that is now moving offline.

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