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With 2026 well underway, the Southasian* diaspora in the United States and United Kingdom stands at a pivotal crossroads. Rising far-right populism, economic anxieties, imperial overreach, and resurgent racism have placed these communities, once again, under intense pressure. 

Yet, far from succumbing to division or despair, the diaspora is increasingly contributing to broad, multiracial coalitions resisting authoritarianism, oligarchic capture, and elite dominance. 

The old chant “The people united will never be defeated”, resonates deeply. History repeatedly proves that when ordinary people overcome fear and manufactured divisions to stand together for justice and dignity, even the most entrenched powers falter. 

For Southasians in the U.S. and U.K., 2026 offers real prospects for hope, rooted in cross-community solidarity, anti-racist mobilisation, and a shared rejection of big-money rule.

In the United States, the Southasian diaspora of over five million has faced a sharp escalation in hostility under Donald Trump’s second term. Hate incidents surged after the 2024 election – racial slurs increased by 66% while threats of violence went up by almost 60%, mostly against Southasians, according to the Stop AAPI Hate organisation. Far-right influencers scapegoated Indians over H-1B visas and tariffs, even turning on once-favoured figures like Vivek Ramaswamy. This backlash shattered lingering “model minority” illusions, reminding communities that conditional acceptance can evaporate overnight.

Far-right alignment remains limited and contested. A vocal minority, often upper-caste, affluent Hindus influenced by Hindutva networks, supported Trump through groups like Hindus for America First and the Republican Hindu Coalition, attracted to anti-Muslim rhetoric and ‘America First’ nationalism. Transnational links with India’s Bharatiya Janata Party, the political party prime minister Modi is associated with, amplified this appeal. 

This support is largely confined to certain Hindu Indian segments and does not extend to Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, most Sikhs, or progressive Hindus. 

According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Southasian voting in 2024 showed a large majority backing Kamala Harris against Trump, with a small rightward shift but still a clear progressive majority. A report in Zeteo showed that Muslim Americans, despite defections due to the Democratic party’s refusal to platform pro-Palestinian voices at their national convention, did not ‘swing’ the election for Trump. 

Crucially, even among Trump voters, many reject elite dominance and big-money influence, mirroring grassroots MAGA disillusionment over withheld Epstein files and broken economic promises.

Progressive Southasian organisations are at the forefront of resistance. Hindus for Human Rights, the Jakara Movement, and Sadhana critique Hindutva-MAGA alliances as short-sighted and........

© The Wire