UT students attacked by Bo French call his comments “disgusting” and too familiar

University of Texas at Austin students expressed dismay, yet no surprise, at racist online attacks following a Republican candidate's comments suggesting white Americans were "displaced." Bo French, the Republican candidate for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, posted racist comments on X, an image of UT students of South Asian descent celebrating the victory in the aftermath of a football game.

French's post included the caption, "I heard UT graduation this year looked like this," insinuating that the event resembled a foreign celebration. In response, French defended his comments on a conservative radio talk show, but the posts gained widespread attention on social media, prompting reactions such as "Bollywood University" and "The America we grew up in no longer exists."

Dhairya Gupta, a senior student, reflected on the photo, stating that it did not appear problematic to him. He emphasized his familiarity with racist comments online, describing the situation as "insane" when directed at himself and his friends. The controversy arises amidst a pattern of divisive rhetoric by French, who has faced criticism from fellow Republicans. Additionally, years of conservative lawmakers have targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at universities like UT.

French's comments referred to the students as "foreigners" displacing Americans, without any evidence of their citizenship status. Approximately 26% of UT's degree-seeking undergraduate students are Asian, a significant increase from 20% a decade ago, while the white student population has decreased from 44%. UT has been prohibited from considering race in admissions since a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2023.

The students who appeared in French's photo are believed to be of South Asian descent, although their citizenship status remains unknown. Arsheeya Moyeen, a sophomore, dismissed the photo as taken out of context, stating that the students were simply celebrating a football game. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, acknowledged the students' pride in being Longhorns and expressed gratitude for their contribution to the university community.