After the No. 4-ranked Texas Longhorns beat No. 1-ranked Ohio State on Saturday, social media videos showed University of Texas fans celebrating in the stands in Austin. Instead of joining in the fun online, Bo French, the GOP nominee for the powerful Texas Railroad Commission, fixated on the color of the students’ skin.
He posted a photo of jubilant fans, many of whom appeared to be of South Asian heritage, decked out in Longhorns gear. “The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” he wrote. Facing backlash from prominent Republicans, French doubled down: “Social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners.”
Where French sees a “problem,” we see an American success story. The scene that angered him neatly illustrates the power of the melting pot and the immigrant desire to embrace traditional American customs and culture. The students pictured are probably second- or third-generation Americans, taking part in a quintessential American pastime.
The University of Texas admissions process is meritocratic. The university says it “does not consider an applicant’s race, ethnicity, sex, or gender.” Under state law, the top academic performers in each Texas high school are admitted. This is what someone who rages against diversity, equity and inclusion programs would ostensibly want. But French claimed on social media that “DEI in college admission” is “biased against heritage Americans and for third worlders.”
In addition to being repugnant, French’s rhetoric could be a political liability. The Indian American population in Texas nearly doubled to 450,000 during the 2010s. Several Texans of South Asian descent are running for local office. President Donald Trump courted this constituency in 2019 by appearing with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston for a “Howdy, Modi” summit.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who lost his bid for reelection in the primary, called on fellow Republicans to condemn French’s post. “This is how great political parties self-destruct,” said Cornyn.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), the Senate nominee, both distanced themselves from French’s comments. So did several state legislators. They are right to do so.
The post Longhorns fans are a Texas-size win for American assimilation appeared first on Washington Post.
