US South Asian lawmakers seek concrete steps to curb hate and violence

South Asian-origin elected representatives in the US met at the Capitol to push for stronger action against hate. Their appeal spotlights rising discrimination and the need for better reporting, prevention and response.A group of elected representatives of South Asian origin in the US has called for concrete steps to tackle hate and prevent violence against South Asian American communities, raising concerns over discrimination. The demand was made during a roundtable at the US Capitol on Wednesday, convened by Indian American Impact and Stop AAPI Hate.The discussion brought together US Congresspersons Raja Krishnamoorthi, Shri Thanedar, Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam and Pramila Jayapal, along with state senators, assembly members and other local elected officials of South Asian origin. Participants discussed what South Asian communities are experiencing, the forces driving hate, and ways to strengthen prevention, reporting and response."This is about protecting South Asian Americans, but it is also about making clear that no American should be made to feel they do not belong because of where they were born, how they worship, or what their name sounds like," Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.He said he had been working to strengthen the response to hate crimes through the Hate Crimes Commission Act. "That is why I have been working to strengthen our response to hate crimes, including through the Hate Crimes Commission Act, so we can better understand what is driving this hate and prevent violence before it happens," said Krishnamoorthi, the Congressman from Illinois. "Today's roundtable brought together South Asian leaders from across the country to confront the rise in hate, harassment, and violence our communities are seeing and focus on what we can do about it," Krishnamoorthi said.Chintan Patel, Executive Director of Indian American Impact, said leaders at the meeting spoke about their own experiences and what was happening in their communities. "We heard directly from leaders who've been personally targeted, and about what's happening in their districts and communities. This is one of many conversations to come. We'll be facilitating conversations like this across the country in the months ahead," Patel said. Earlier this year, Krishnamoorthi reintroduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez. The legislation seeks to set up a bipartisan commission to examine what is driving hate crimes, including the role of social media and technology, assess barriers to complete reporting, and identify successful prevention and response strategies.The proposed law would also require a Government Accountability Office audit of federal hate-crime data to improve the accuracy and reliability of information on hate crimes across the country. The roundtable included state and local elected officials from North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, California, Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania, as participants discussed measures to combat hate and improve responses to it.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 3, 2026 07:26 IST