A recent social media post has sparked outrage after a Texan targeted Telugu-speaking Indians, claiming they cheat their way into the US and buy expensive homes. The post drew a strong response from Nitish Kannan, CEO of a payment app, who defended Indian immigrants and H-1B visa holders.
Indian-Origin CEO shuts down racist troll targeting H-1B families
It all started when someone on X (formerly Twitter) shared a screenshot from a Texas Facebook community. An Indian-origin resident was asking for suggestions for luxury “new construction” homes in the affluent Frisco or Prosper areas, with a budget between $1 million and $2 million. A user with the handle ‘The Repatriator’ reposted the screenshot with a racist jab aimed at the Telugu-speaking community: “Be a Telugu, live in a shack with 20 relatives in telugulands — win an H-1B lottery, come to America on fake docs and suddenly be able to afford a brand new 1-2 M dollar home. That makes sense.”
Kannan fired back, saying he didn’t see anything wrong in a desi wanting to buy a property. He reminded people that H-1B visa holders work hard and earn well. “Because everybody on the H-1B visa makes six figures a year working in tech jobs by the way, nobody is stopping you from getting a job in technology or studying or working hard,” Kannan wrote.
He also shared his personal family story, “15 of my cousins came here on an H-1B visa, and they all make over six or seven figures… 100% of my family are multimillionaires and own multiple homes and have paid tens of millions of dollars in taxes.”
Responding to the “job-stealer” argument, he said, “You obviously have no idea. Why don’t you go buy a bunch of motels then… go manage motels and run them nobody is stopping you… Go apply for an SBA loan and buy a motel. What are you complaining about?”
15 of my cousins came here on an H1B visa and they all make over six or seven figures and they all own homes and have become citizens 100% of my family are multimillionaires and owned multiple homes and have paid tens of millions of dollars in taxes
— Nitish Kannan (@nitut1) February 19, 2026
The growing anti-India sentiment in the US
This isn’t just about one troll. Experts say it shows a broader rise in anti-India and anti-South Asian sentiment in the US, especially in 2025 and early 2026. Data from Stop AAPI Hate and the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate shows anti-South Asian slurs online jumped 115% between 2023 and 2025. A new “Great Replacement” theory targets high-skilled Indian immigrants, accusing them of taking over tech hubs like Frisco, Texas, and Cary, North Carolina.
Indians hold roughly 71%–73% of H-1B visas. Recently proposed $100,000 fees for certain applications have made hiring foreign talent expensive. Some officials even call H-1B a “scam” that lowers American wages, even when tech leaders like Elon Musk argue these workers are crucial for US competitiveness. Frisco, one of the fastest-growing US cities, has seen an influx of Indian tech professionals. This has stirred local debates, with some residents using phrases like “Indian takeover” or calling immigrants “fraudsters.”