AAUC sent the follow letter to the White House in response President Trump’s endorsement of rhetoric harmful to Asian American Communities and our national interests.
April 27, 2026
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Subject: Formal Protest of the Rhetoric Harmful to Asian American Communities and Our National Interests
Dear Sir/Madam –
We, the Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC), representing Indian American, Chinese American, and broader Asian American communities, issue this formal letter of protest in response to the rhetoric endorsed by the White House on April 23, 2026.
The promotion of Michael Savage’s remarks, which characterize India as a “hellhole” and suggest that legal and birthright citizenship for Asian Americans are tools of subversion, represent more than a political disagreement. It is a direct assault on the dignity of millions of citizens and a strategic blunder that undermines the economic and national security of the United States.
The Economic Reality vs. The Rhetoric of Exclusion
The claim that Indian and Chinese immigrants lack English proficiency or engage in exclusionary hiring practices is demonstrably false. Indian Americans have the highest median household income of any ethnic group in the U.S. (approximately $150,000), and Chinese Americans contribute significantly to a STEM workforce that drives American innovation. The technologies created by these groups, especially in the Silicon Valley, are keeping our country on the top of the technology ladder. To disparage the very demographic that forms the backbone of the U.S. technology sector at a time when global competition for talent is at its peak is an act of economic self-sabotage.
The “Great Talent Flip” and National Security
By signaling that legal residency and birthright citizenship are no longer secure, this administration is accelerating “The Great Talent Flip.” When the “Individual Survival Rubric” for highly skilled professionals includes facing state-sanctioned xenophobia, the United States ceases to be the world’s premier destination for innovation. This hostility serves as a recruitment tool for our competitors, driving top-tier talent toward China and other emerging powers, and ensuring that the next generation of breakthroughs happens outside our borders.
The Middle Power Paradox and Diplomatic Erosion
The description of India, a critical strategic partner, as a “hellhole” creates an untenable “Middle Power Paradox.” The administration cannot expect to tether middle powers to U.S. interests while simultaneously insulting their sovereignty and their diaspora. Such rhetoric increases the “Cost of Strategic Alignment” for our allies, forcing them to seek sovereignty through non-alignment or regional blocs, thereby hastening a “Hegemonic Sunset” where American influence is diminished.
The Undermining of the American “Source Code”
The attack on birthright citizenship is an attack on the “Civilizational Source Code” of the United States. For over a century, the guarantee of citizenship by birth has been the bedrock of American social cohesion. To suggest that the children of immigrants are “anchor babies” creates a climate of “Tactical Chaos,” where legal residents are left to wonder if the rules of the game will be rewritten overnight. This does not “Restore the Rule of Law.” It replaces it with ideological exclusion.
Conclusion
We demand an immediate retraction of these endorsements and a formal apology to the Indian and Chinese American communities. We also call upon the mainstream media to rigorously fact-check these claims and highlight the catastrophic long-term risks of driving global talent away from our shores.
The “2026 Economic Shift” should be defined by American excellence and strategic coherence, not by tactical chaos and the alienation of our most productive citizens. We are not “guests” in this country, we are the infrastructure of its future.
Sincerely,
Yen Marshall
President
Asian American Unity Coalition
Dr. SK Lo
Board Chair
Asian American Unity Coalition
