Indian-American entrepreneur and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy shared a post on social media platform X on Tuesday to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary with his wife, Apoorva.
However, some American citizens launched racist attacks against him in response to his personal and emotional post. The ongoing controversy over the H-1B visa program in the US has also made Ramaswamy a target.
In his post, Ramaswamy reminisced about his first date with Apoorva in 2011 and shared pictures from that day and a recent trip.
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He wrote, "In the autumn of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student, Apoorva, and invited her on our first date — a Rocky's Flat Top Mountain hike. As we neared the summit, a snowstorm hit. I stubbornly tried to press on, but she took my hand, looked into my eyes, and said — 'We have a lifetime to finish this.' After 14 years and two children, we returned this weekend to celebrate our 10th wedding." anniversary.”
In response, American users posted insulting comments telling Ramaswamy and his wife to "go back to India." One user wrote, "We want you to go back to India and observe their caste system." Another asked, "Don't you have mountains in your country (India)?" Some demanded, "You should be deported." Many others made derogatory remarks about his skin color.
This racist backlash ties to the ongoing debate over the H-1B visa program. Ramaswamy has called the program "modern slavery" and pushed for reforms. Because of his Indian origin, critics have targeted him with racial attacks and accused him of bias towards the system.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indian nationals made up more than 70 percent of H-1B visa recipients in 2023.
Despite criticism, Ramaswamy's company, Roivant Sciences, has hired employees through the H-1B program. Records show the company used the visa 29 times between 2018 and 2023, which has drawn further criticism. Ramaswamy argues that the system should be merit-based.
Since Donald Trump's re-election as US president, the debate over the H-1B visa has intensified. Trump and his allies support the program, saying, "America needs the world's best talent." Meanwhile, hardline right-wing groups claim the program threatens "American jobs" and "Western civilization."
