NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Cover photo: File photo of D4D members at a meeting in Atlanta earlier this year.
Atlanta, GA, September 20, 2024: A joint statement released by South Asian advocacy groups, including Desis 4 Democracy and They See Blue, has voiced strong disapproval of the American Hindu Coalition (AHC) Georgia Chapter’s recent endorsement of Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the broader Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. The statement highlights concerns over the coalition’s alignment with values that these organizations feel do not reflect the beliefs of the wider South Asian and Hindu communities.
“We were proud of the diversity of faiths, including Hinduism, that brought our communities together. The American Hindu Coalition Georgia Chapter’s endorsement did not represent Hindu or South Asian values at large,” the statement read.
The organizations behind the statement emphasized that the MAGA movement, led by Trump, had fostered an atmosphere of hostility and exclusion, particularly towards immigrants and communities of color. The statement recalled the harmful rhetoric that marked Trump’s political career, citing instances where his words incited violence against immigrants and people of different ethnic backgrounds. “Our Asian friends suffered from a spike in hate crimes due to Donald Trump’s rhetoric during the pandemic,” it noted, referencing the wave of anti-Asian violence that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They also pointed to specific cases of MAGA-related violence, including the attack on Haitian immigrants in Ohio and the tragic shooting of two Indian engineers, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, by a Trump supporter in 2017. These incidents, the statement argued, demonstrated that the MAGA movement had empowered supporters to spread hate and intolerance.
The groups reaffirmed their commitment to inclusivity, equity, and the pursuit of the American dream for all, regardless of their background. “We stood with leaders who were doing the work to build a prosperous nation where every child and every adult felt free to pursue their dreams,” the statement concluded, expressing hope for a more unified and welcoming America.
While the American Hindu Coalition Georgia Chapter’s endorsement garnered attention, the signatories of the joint statement stressed that their views did not align with the coalition’s, asserting that South Asian Americans, including Hindus, should be represented by values of inclusivity, diversity, and respect for all communities.
