Combating the Rise of Racist Slurs Against Indians Online

The term “Pajeet,” a racial slur rooted in far-right online spaces, has gained traction during the backlash against H-1B visa holders—particularly Indian immigrants in the U.S. Originally surfacing on 4Chan around 2015, “Pajeet” is a fabricated name meant to mock Indian men, often portrayed through stereotypes. It later evolved to include a female version, “Pajeeta,” and has been widely used in online hate campaigns.

This term grew more visible after the announcement of higher visa fees, with online users urging disruptive acts like fake flight bookings to block Indian workers. The slur is now used internationally, spreading to far-right groups in Canada, the UK, and Australia.

For Indian immigrants, the word echoes the same racial trauma as “Paki” did for South Asians in the UK. It lumps together people of different faiths and backgrounds—such as Hindus and Sikhs—by using common name suffixes like “–jeet” or “Kumar.” Some of its origins are tied to memes mocking sanitation issues in India, further feeding harmful stereotypes.

Today, “Pajeet” appears widely across platforms like Reddit, X, and Instagram, often accompanied by dehumanizing images and memes. Experts say the slur exemplifies how online hatred, once confined to fringe spaces, is becoming more mainstream, especially amid increasing political hostility toward immigrants.

The use of “Pajeet” underscores a larger trend of online racism, where such terms reduce a diverse population to offensive clichés, deepening division and reinforcing xenophobia.

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