Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican congressman representing Texas’s 26th District and a fervent supporter of Donald Trump, is encountering significant criticism following a provocative tweet that targeted an Indian American community event in Dallas.A shared a photograph of a large crowd at a Leuva Patidar Samaj volleyball tournament, highlighting that around 8,000 individuals attended, which reflects a community of approximately 40,000 in the United States. Patel characterized the attendees as primarily business owners involved in the motel and gas station sectors. In response, Gill issued a tweet that sparked immediate backlash, stating, “America is the ‘land of opportunity’ precisely because we DON’T have a caste system. We cannot sustain America’s prosperity and liberty by importing foreign class allegiances. Immigration without assimilation is national and cultural suicide.” His comments, which portrayed the gathering as a potential threat to American principles, were swiftly rebuked by Suhag Shukla, co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation. Shukla countered Gill’s assertions by tweeting, “Respectfully, the misuse of the word ‘caste’ and now your tweet are fomenting the type of anti-Indian and anti-Hindu hate that days ago led to real violence.
A volleyball ‘tournament’ at a reunion of an Indian American immigrant community (wrongly termed ‘caste’) of traditional farmers now contributing to America as small store and hotel owners creating jobs and paying taxes.” She further questioned Gill’s perspective, asking, “Would you have said the same thing if Scot-Irish farming families from West Virginia or Mennonite families from Pennsylvania were meeting up in Dallas? We need our elected leaders to do much better.” Gill, who previously served as a conservative student leader at Dartmouth College and has been a vocal opponent of progressive policies, has positioned himself as a champion of traditional American values. His tweet reflects a broader nationalist discourse surrounding immigration and assimilation, themes that have been pivotal in the rhetoric of former President Trump.The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny of how caste is discussed in the U.S. and growing concerns about anti-Indian and anti-Hindu sentiment. It also underscores ongoing tensions between right-wing politicians and minority communities over identity and belonging in America.
