Victims of Hate Crimes

Deepak Bajaj

Within a short period of 5 months since October 2023, there have been 9 Indian and Indian-American origin students who have either been killed or have died, and one grievously injured in an unprovoked attack, leaving the minority community devastated and looking for answers.
The United States is home to many prestigious universities and colleges known for their high academic standards, cutting-edge research facilities, and renowned faculty members. Whether students are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, liberal arts, business, or the humanities, they can find programs tailored to their preferences.

Graduating from a US university can enhance a student’s domestic and international career prospects. Many employers value the skills, knowledge, and cultural experiences gained through US education, making graduates more competitive in the global job market. The promise of these positive outcomes has drawn Indian students to seek higher education in American universities and colleges.

To provide some statistics, according to the Open Doors Report (ODR) released in November 2023, the number of international students from India to the United States increased by 35 percent and resulted in an all-time high of 268,923 students in the academic year 2022-23, compared to the previous year. Indian students constitute more than 25 percent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States. The number of Indian graduate students rose by 63 percent to 165,936 students, an increase of nearly 64,000 students, compared to 2022, while Indian undergraduate students also increased by 16 percent. The data also showed India leading in the number of individuals (69,062) who pursued optional practical training (OPT), a type of temporary work permission that allows eligible students to get real-world experience related to their field of study.

Unfortunately, the promise of a better life has been short-lived for many Indian students with their shocking deaths, some under mysterious circumstances.

There have been concerns raised by parents of these students about the lack of responsibility or urgency shown by college administrators. What’s abysmal is the perceived apathy of the Indian consulates in asking tough questions and holding these universities and local authorities accountable for the safety and security of the Indian students here.

The Indian civilisation has, for millennia, been a knowledge-seeking civilisation which is evident even now with hundreds of thousands of Indians coming to the US for higher education. In many cases, the families of these young students spend their entire life savings to have their children educated in prestigious US campuses.

The shock of hearing about their child’s death and in some cases their murder in a distant country devastates them, especially when it would have been preventable.

As in the case of Akul where his body was found just 500 feet from his last known location casts doubt on the search conducted by the campus police to locate him in a timely manner, to save his life. Furthermore, Sameer Kamath was driven to suicide which perhaps could have been avoided, had counseling services been available to him.

With the increasing number of students coming from India to the US the concerns of racist attacks on them have a propensity to increase. For example, Varun was stabbed to death just because he seemed “a little weird”.

Statistics provided by the US Department of Justice, show a staggering 59% of the total number of recorded hate crimes in the US in the year 2022 were attributed to Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry. Of the known offenders, 51% were White, 21% were Black or African-American and others were Race Unknown.

College administrators have a responsibility to provide an optimal environment to students coming from abroad. It must be free from racism, verbal and physical intimidation. Second, focused and ongoing counseling must be made accessible to all students coming from abroad to help adapt to their college campus life and to their new country to adjust to a life so far away from their families and their country.

Third, outside of campuses, the local authorities and elected representatives from the government also need to step up to protect the Indian American minority community, which through its perseverance and hard work has contributed tremendously to the US success story as is evident by many Indian-origin leaders in diverse fields of technology, medicine, law, government etc. Finally, the offices of the Consulate General of India must provide strong support and follow up for the devastated families when their child is missing or deceased.

The US prides itself as being the beacon of hope for millions of people globally looking for a better life here with the promise of security, free speech, fair treatment and equal opportunity. How the situation unfolds with respect to Indian and Indian-American youth losing their lives, and the urgent remedial steps needed to be brought in by the concerned authorities will determine if the US is able to deliver on that promise it has made to the world.

[Deepak Bajaj is a resident of San Francisco Bay Area for over two decades. An avid photographer with liberal views, he likes to dabble in citizen journalism on topics pertaining to the Indian American community in California.]

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 7, Aug 11 - 17, 2024