Meng, Jayapal, and South Asian Members of Congress Denounce Racist Post Targeting UT Austin Students

WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Grace Meng (NY-06), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Ami Bera (CA-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13) issued a joint statement condemning a racist post by Texas Republican Bo French that included a photo of South Asian students celebrating at a University of Texas football game:

“We are outraged by the blatantly xenophobic social media post made by Bo French, Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, attacking students celebrating at the University of Texas football game. These were young students in a moment of joy and celebration.

“This is a part of a broader rise of attacks made towards the South Asian American community. In fact, 71 percent of all anti-Asian threats of violence between August 2024 and December 2025 were directed at South Asians, making them the most targeted Asian regional subgroup in online spaces associated with targeted violence. Hateful and racist attacks like this have no place online, or in our communities. We must continue to speak out against this sort of rhetoric, and we must demand better of candidates and elected officials. No one’s Americanness should be judged based on the color of their skin.”

Issues: Civil Rights