Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, discusses the growing fears facing Indian American families, the consequences of letting funding expire, and what is at stake for communities targeted by hate.
“We are concerned about unlawful detentions of South Asians due to their perceived immigration status; we’re concerned about hate being targeted at South Asians who are simply going about their ordinary business, like going to Costco; we’re concerned about elected officials saying South Asians don’t belong in the U.S.” — Manjusha Kulkarni
In response to the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, California created the Stop the Hate program, a state-funded initiative that has distributed more than $100 million to community organizations across the state. The program has since become a model for other states, including New York and Illinois, seeking to combat hate and discrimination.
Stop the Hate provides grants to nonprofits serving communities most at risk of experiencing hate crimes and bias incidents, including Asian Americans — among them South Asian and Southeast Asian communities — as well as Black/African Americans, American Indians and Tribal communities, Middle Eastern and North African populations, and religious minorities such as Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews.
But the program is set to expire on June 30, even as concerns grow over rising hostility toward immigrants and people of color. Advocacy groups and community organizations are now urging state lawmakers to renew the funding.
READ: Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemns racist chants in Texas (June 19, 2026)
The American Bazaar spoke with Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, who also serves as the regional lead for the Stop the Hate grant program in Los Angeles County. She discussed the urgency of extending the initiative and why she believes its mission remains as important as ever.
The American Bazaar: If the funding expires, what immediate impact will communities and organizations feel? What message would the expiration of this funding send to communities that continue to face discrimination?
If funding expires on June 30, the support system that is in place to provide resources and services to victims of hate will cease to exist. Hate crime survivors will lose access to trusted, community-based partners who can provide legal guidance, advocacy, and mental health counseling in their primary language. Young people will be deprived of safe spaces for sharing their experiences with bullying and discrimination at school. Senior citizens will be cut off from vital programs like situational awareness safety training.
We know that California is currently experiencing significant constraints on its budget, but we also know that our community members are experiencing increasing levels of hate, due in large part to racist rhetoric by elected officials like Trump who for example, recently called India and China ‘hellhole’ countries, and xenophobic policies such as additional fees on H-1B visa was implemented by the administration. Failure to renew funding for this program sends the message to Californians from marginalized communities that their state government is abandoning them in their time of greatest need.
Advocates argue that hostility toward immigrants and people of color is rising again. What trends are you most concerned about right now?
We are very concerned about this. Given the white nationalist/supremacist rhetoric and policies of the federal administration, people on the ground feel emboldened to spew hate at ordinary folks who look ‘different.’ We hear more and more stories where ordinary people are being told ‘Go back to your country,’ or ‘I’m going to call ICE on you,’ simply because they are a person of color. There are clear signs of anti-immigrant hostility, clear signs of hostility to anyone who doesn’t fit the administration’s view of who belongs here. Frankly, this poses a threat to the majority of Americans. As the cost of basic necessities continues to skyrocket in America, immigrants and people of color are being made scapegoats for the failure of the U.S. government to create the conditions for an affordable, safe, and equitable society for all.
We’re seeing what we call the trifecta of hate: interpersonal attacks, racist rhetoric, xenophobic policies from the national administration and those who support it. This filters down to the street level, and people who previously would’ve refrained from using hateful language are unrestrained because they have support from the nation’s leaders and institutions.
READ: Indian dancer and founder Anita Ratnam highlights growing anti-Indian hate in US (April 2, 2026)
In 2025, anti-South Asian hate surged both online and in physical spaces. This surge can be traced directly to national events. The percent of South Asian adults who experienced a hate act in the U.S. based on their race, ethnicity, or nationality rose from 48% in 2024 to 54% in 2025. We’re concerned about unlawful detentions of South Asians due to their perceived immigration status; we’re concerned about hate being targeted at South Asians who are simply going about their ordinary business, like going to Costco; we’re concerned about elected officials saying South Asians don’t belong in the U.S.
Many Indian Americans came to the U.S. believing California was among the safest and most inclusive places for immigrants. Are those assumptions being challenged today?
Yes, very much so. Many Indian Americans have generally lived in a safe bubble, encouraged to believe that their education, their English-skills, and their ability to contribute productively to society will protect them. The current federal administration, and the hateful ideas that drive them, do not think the willingness to work hard and contribute to society are enough to make people of Indian-origin American. They see the differences and do not celebrate them; they see them as other, and a threat to their vision of America. A recent poll by UMass Amherst found that 39% of all white Americans agree that immigrants invade and colonize the U.S. This is the mindset that led to the recent attacks on mosques and temples. California has long been considered an inclusive place, but it is also the home of many who are invested in a vision of California and America that runs on inequality. It is up to those who believe in an inclusive, welcoming society to stand up and fight for that vision of California, and the nation.
What concerns are you hearing specifically from South Asian, immigrant, and first-generation families? How has Stop the Hate funding benefited South Asian and Indian American organizations and communities?
They are concerned about harassment in public places, institutional discrimination, and visa issues. There’s a growing awareness of the threat to birthright citizenship and that Indian Americans are not as welcome as they thought they were. South Asians are worried about what kind of a place their children will group up in and whether they will be safe or not. Stop the Hate funding has allowed organizations including South Asian Network, SAHAAS for Cause, and faith-based organizations that serve parts of the South Asian community, such as Jakara Movement and Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), to support South Asian communities with mental health and legal support services and help them navigate civil society and advocate for themselves and their communities.