Indian-origin doctor faces backlash after sharing bindi video
An Indian-origin plastic surgeon in the US reports facing racist harassment online and in person after sharing a video wearing a bindi. The article highlights a broader trend of rising anti-Indian sentiment and discrimination within the United States.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing social challenges and safety concerns faced by the Indian-American diaspora in the current political climate.
Being an Indian in the United States is no longer a point of diversity and celebration. Instead, openly revealing your Indian identity might get you attacked on the streets and targeted online. This isn't just a hypothesis, but a proven statement. A 2026 survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace examined the attitudes of the roughly 5.2 million Indian-Americans living in US. As per the survey, since the start of 2025, one in four Indian Americans have been called a slur. The survey also noted that one in five respondents shied away from wearing their religious identities such as bindis and tilaks in public.Those who still do, are targeted enough to inspire them to withhold wearing their identity in public. A case in point is an Indian-origin doctor in the US who faced racist comments on social media over wearing a bindi.
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