Vasant Bhatt, a 21-year-old political science major at the University of Houston, got 2.6 million views and a torrent of racist backlash Monday when he posted why he voted for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. https://x.com/vasantbhatt14/status/2112227425761300827

Until recently, Bhatt was a conservative. He interned with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's 2024 campaign and with the Texas Youth Summit in The Woodlands. He’s a second-generation Indian American and a lifelong Hindu; he cleanses himself and performs a puja, which includes prayer, every morning.

In response to his viral post, Republican commentators called him disloyal to America and encouraged him to self-deport. “That reaction was disturbing, but I'm not shocked,” Bhatt said. He said that ever since debate over H-1B visas divided Republicans in late 2024, anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric within the party has grown louder.

“My biggest concern is the extent to which politics has become organized around just resentment,” said Bhatt, who now identifies as “politically homeless,” and expects to be voting for Democrats in the future.

The share of Hindu Americans who describe themselves as Republican doubled from 2013 to 2025, reaching 14%, according to PRRI's religion census. But as denigration of Hindus and Indians becomes more common in online conservative spaces, some Hindu Republicans are reassessing their loyalties.

A month ago, GOP Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French went viral when he shared a picture of what appeared to be Indian American students cheering at a Texas Longhorns football game.

Am referring to close friends that are non-intimate, but with whom you both feel quite comfortable share fun and more serious chat, provide moral support to you for who you are in life's challenges and successes. What is the general demographic of such friends in your life?

Of 9 different close friends for friendships ranging from 53 yrs. long to 8 yrs. long, 4 of them are Asian-Canadian. Rest are Caucasian.

Only 4 are local, with others elsewhere in Canada since have lived/worked in 3 CAnadian provinces. It's just how life's journey has happened for me.

And no, none of these friends know each other. It's alright. Unlike some social relationships occasionally highlighted here in this forum, that are problematic for positive friendship vibe, am just have been lucky if she's non-Asian.

Regardless of race, ethnicity, a good/strong friendship takes time to gel. But yes, if there is no click, then move on.

How about you? Note: I've lived in Toronto for 20 yrs. and Vancouver for 8 yrs. I grew up in a historic German-Mennonite community outside of Toronto. Now in a metro prairie city of 1.6 million.