3 min readApr 23, 2026 05:17 PM IST
First published on: Apr 23, 2026 at 05:16 PM IST
Once upon a time in America, there was a political movement that railed against immigrants, was terrified of the influence of the Pope, and famously, knew nothing. If that seems too on the nose, there are a few distinctions that can be drawn with the present moment: The Know Nothings rose to prominence in the mid-19th century in opposition to large-scale Irish and German Catholic immigration to the US, and sought to defend the dominance of Anglo-Saxon Protestants.
That such European immigrants faced a backlash from “nativist” Americans for decades is well known. But not, it seems to radio “shock jock” Michael Savage, who, in a screed shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, blithely elides this history: “The Irish integrated, the Italians integrated… and became Americans in the melting pot.” Yes, they did, in the face of attacks from those who didn’t want them even dipping a finger in the pot. But according to Savage, immigrants today, from “China or India or some other hellhole on the planet”, are failing to integrate.
Nativist sentiment is on the rise everywhere in the West, but the American case is particularly striking in its historical shallowness as well as illiteracy: In the same rant, with not a hint of irony, Savage speaks approvingly of Stonewall Jackson (incorrectly — it should be Andrew Jackson) and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans. The Know Nothings have made a comeback, this time as farce.
Indians being targeted is unsurprising considering the fracas over H-1B visas and the online hate campaign against what is an increasingly visible, and culturally assertive, immigrant population in America. Trump — who has spoken of immigration from “s**thole countries” in the past — sharing Savage’s screed, which is in support of his attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, is equally unsurprising. To draw any further inference from this would be pointless. This is domestic politics, utterly heedless of any potential implications in terms of relations with the countries being insulted, and Trump is equally capable of praising “the great Indian people” tomorrow.
What is more concerning is the atmosphere of hatred that already exists, and which such discourse will only make worse. Immigrants across the West increasingly have good reason to be afraid, not just of ICE, but of racially motivated violence and riots, like those that took place in Britain in 2024 — or in Philadelphia in 1844, against Irish Catholics. The Irish endured, and were eventually folded into the larger construct of whiteness. No such option is likely to present itself to those of Indian origin considering the nature of White identity politics today. So, the question is whether, in the West, they will always be the Other.
The writer is senior assistant editor, The Indian Express. rohan.manoj@expressindia.com
