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"Need to speak up against bigotry": Krishnamoorthi urges Indian Americans
The Congressman urged collective action, political engagement, and solidarity amid rising prejudice and violence during the India Abroad Dialogue in Chicago.
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Anushka Pathak - Sun, 14, Dec 2025
- 15:47 EST
- 26
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi / Photo: X/@CongressmanRaja
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, speaking at the India Abroad Dialogue in Chicago on Dec. 14, urged the community to speak out against prejudice and intolerance as incidents of bigotry and violence continue to rise.
He warned that silence could increase vulnerability, describing self-advocacy as a critical tool for strengthening community safety.
“We have to speak up for ourselves no matter what,” Krishnamoorthi said, describing it as the foundation of resilience in an increasingly hostile environment.
He cautioned that threats were not hypothetical. “It is going to become dangerous as bigotry, violence, and prejudice are on the rise, especially towards the Indian community,” he said.
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Krishnamoorthi outlined what he described as a multi-layered response, stressing that advocacy should extend beyond one’s own community. “We need to speak up for ourselves no matter what. We have to speak up even when the hate is directed towards anyone else,” he said, citing the Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney on Dec. 14.
Krishnamoorthi placed particular emphasis on deeper political engagement, saying civic participation was essential to protecting minority communities. “We need to become more politically engaged. Not just us lawmakers but even the common citizens,” he said.
He said engagement must extend beyond election cycles to sustained involvement in public discourse, advocacy, and coalition-building, adding that influence comes from being present in decision-making spaces. “None of us can afford to be vulnerable; we need to be on the table,” he said.
The Chicago dialogue was part of a multi-city series organized by New India Abroad. The discussions focused on immigration, public policy, and challenges facing the Indian American community, following a similar event held earlier in Detroit.
Krishnamoorthi also linked community safety to broader national concerns, pointing to a “surge in gun violence and mass shootings almost every day.” He called for practical steps to address the issue, saying, “As a community, we must control and regulate gun rights,” while also highlighting the mental health crisis that has worsened since the pandemic.
He urged leaders and citizens alike to reduce inflammatory language. “We may disagree with each other, but we cannot encourage violence and extremism,” he said.
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