A coalition of South Asian American lawmakers and elected officials convened in Washington on 3 September to demand stronger federal, state and local action against rising hate, harassment and violence targeting their community. The national roundtable was led by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents Illinois' 8th Congressional District, and drew participants from across the country to address discrimination and gaps in hate-crime prevention and reporting.

Who Was in the Room

US Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam and Shri Thanedar joined Krishnamoorthi at the roundtable, alongside state and local elected officials from North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, California, Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania. Advocacy groups Indian American Impact and Stop AAPI Hate were also represented, with Indian American Impact Executive Director Chintan Patel and Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Manju Kulkarni taking part in discussions.

What the Lawmakers Said

'Today's roundtable brought together South Asian leaders from across the country to confront the rise in hate, harassment, and violence our communities are seeing and focus on what we can do about it,' Krishnamoorthi said. He added: 'This is about protecting South Asian Americans, but it is also about making clear that no American should be made to feel they do not belong because of where they were born, how they worship, or what their name sounds like.' Krishnamoorthi also pointed to his legislative push: 'That is why I have been working to strengthen our response to hate crimes, including through the Hate Crimes Commission Act, so we can better understand what is driving this hate and prevent violence before it happens.'

The Hate Crimes Commission Act Explained

Krishnamoorthi reintroduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act in May alongside Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and House co-leads Grace Meng and Nydia Velázquez. The legislation proposes establishing a bipartisan US Commission on Hate Crimes to examine the factors driving such offences — including the role of social media and technology — and to identify barriers to accurate reporting. It would also direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit federal hate-crime data collection systems, addressing longstanding concerns about under-reporting.

The Scale of the Problem

Federal data cited at the time of the bill's reintroduction showed that more than 11,000 single-bias hate-crime incidents involving nearly 14,000 victims were reported to the FBI in 2024. Those incidents targeted Americans on grounds including race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. Notably, experts and advocacy groups have long argued that official figures undercount the true scale of hate crime in the United States, as many incidents go unreported due to distrust of law enforcement or lack of awareness of reporting mechanisms.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The roundtable comes amid heightened concern among South Asian American organisations over discrimination linked to ethnicity, religion and national origin. Participants discussed the factors driving hate and the measures that could improve prevention, reporting and government responses, according to Krishnamoorthi's office. With the Hate Crimes Commission Act now reintroduced in both chambers, advocates will be watching whether it advances through committee — a step that has stalled similar legislation in previous congressional sessions.