Online Racism Rises Against Indian-Australians
On a Saturday night in Fitzroy, a lively South Indian club night unfolded at Laundry Bar, pulsating with bass and filled with dancing bodies. But beneath the rhythmic beats and carefree moves, the event represented something deeper — a safe space carved out by and for South Asians in Australia, amid a growing tide of online and political hostility directed toward migrant communities.
“It’s a space where [attendees] don’t feel strange or feel they stand out,” said Pradip Sarkar, one of the night’s DJs and a long-standing community radio host. Speaking to the ABC, Sarkar explained the importance of such events for South Asian Australians and international students who often feel out of place in the mainstream.
In recent months, anti-Indian sentiment has been festering online, particularly across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Decontextualised videos portraying migrants — especially South Asians — in a negative light are being shared widely, often originating in the United States and Canada before making their way to Australia. According to ABC News journalist Jeremy Story Carter, these clips frequently stoke xenophobia and fuel the misconception that migrants are “invading” Western societies.
In February, this online racism took a particularly high-profile turn. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a member of Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) taskforce resigned after racist posts targeting Indians surfaced, one of which encouraged followers to “normalise Indian hate.” Though the staffer was later reinstated with the backing of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the message to Indian communities around the world was loud and clear: racism is increasingly being legitimised.
Australia has not been immune. During the recent Australia-India Test Cricket series, some fans at the MCG were recorded chanting “Where’s your visa?” — a video that quickly went viral. Another clip showing Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station accompanied by the caption “Mumbai or Melbourne?” attracted millions of views. These seemingly casual jabs are part of what Sarkar refers to as “algorithmic racism” — discriminatory content amplified by social media algorithms, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
Academic and community voices have raised concerns about the effect this has on Indian-Australians. Dr Sukhmani Khorana, an associate professor at UNSW who has studied the Indian diaspora for over a decade, describes this phenomenon as a new wave of racism born out of digital spaces. “There’s a particular type of racism… directed broadly at international students, but sometimes more specifically at Indian-Australians,” she told the ABC.
This backdrop of cultural tension comes amid a heated federal election campaign in which immigration has emerged as a focal issue. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton blamed migrants for Australia’s housing crisis during the first leadership debate. “If we ask why we’ve got a housing crisis, we can point to [migration],” Dutton said, reinforcing a narrative that directly targets migrant communities.
Such assertions, however, have been debunked by housing and policy experts. Dr Surjeet Dogra Dhanji, a fellow at the University of Melbourne, labelled the idea that migrants are to blame for the housing shortage “a joke.” Speaking to the ABC, she argued that housing stress in Australia has been decades in the making due to underinvestment by successive governments.
Moreover, Dr Dogra Dhanji highlighted the contradiction in political rhetoric during election season. “They rush to the temples, the mosques, the community centres — it is tokenism come the elections,” she said. “You malign me or scapegoat me and then at the same time you want my vote?”
Indeed, the Indian diaspora — now Australia’s fastest-growing migrant community — has become a political football. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Indians represent the largest group among permanent migrants in Australia. Yet despite making up just 4% of the population, Indian-Australians often find themselves at the centre of national debates on immigration and integration.
A recent study led by Dr Dogra Dhanji titled Victorians’ Perceptions on India and the Indian Diaspora, commissioned by the Australia India Institute, found that while 51% of Victorians viewed the Indian community positively, there remains a notable perception gap among Australians without tertiary education — just 38% held positive views.
“The perception that the Indian diaspora is taking over Australia or Victoria or Melbourne is totally incorrect,” Dr Dogra Dhanji said. But such misconceptions are easily fuelled by media headlines, political scapegoating, and unchecked social media narratives.
Language, she emphasised, plays a critical role. When leaders frame migrants as a “burden” or “problem,” they not only dehumanise communities, but also embolden those already inclined toward racist thinking.
Despite the challenges, many in the Indian-Australian community are refusing to retreat into the margins. Instead, they are creating vibrant cultural spaces that affirm their identities and promote inclusivity.
Back at Laundry Bar in Fitzroy, Sarkar said the night was reminiscent of earlier migrant communities finding their own spaces in a sometimes-hostile society. “I have friends from the Italian community and a lot of them said back in the 1980s they would have Italian clubs… because they felt they could express and be themselves.”
The South Indian dance night is more than just entertainment. For Sarkar and others, it’s a form of cultural assertion, a declaration that Indian-Australians are not just “tolerated” members of society but active contributors to its vibrancy.
Similarly, venue manager Jade Trombley sees the club’s embrace of diverse events not only as inclusive policy but good business sense. In a multicultural city like Melbourne, these events reflect the reality of a community that is broad, youthful, and eager to celebrate its identity.
Professor Khorana notes that despite common misconceptions, migrants don’t vote solely based on ethnic or religious identity. “Most research has shown that ethnicity, race or religion only becomes a salient feature when that community is slighted in a particular way,” she said.
In this light, recent political scapegoating may not only be offensive but politically short-sighted. Migrants, like all Australians, are concerned with cost-of-living, employment, and housing affordability — universal issues that transcend identity.
As Australia continues to grapple with its migration narrative, the voices of Indian-Australians — particularly younger generations — are asserting themselves more powerfully than ever. Whether through radio, dance floors, or the ballot box, the community is making it clear: they’re not going anywhere, and they refuse to be defined by prejudice.
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Sources
• Story and photos by Jeremy Story Carter, ABC News. “As the migration debate heats up, Indian diaspora carries weight of online racism.” Published July 2025.
• Dr Surjeet Dogra Dhanji and the Australia India Institute, “Victorians’ Perceptions on India and the Indian Diaspora,” 2024.
• Wall Street Journal, reporting on Elon Musk’s DOGE taskforce staffer controversy.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), migration data, 2024.
• Interview content from Dr Sukhmani Khorana, UNSW.
Note: This article was prepared with full credit to ABC News and original reporting by Jeremy Story Carter.
