‘Playing dog whistles’: Raja Krishnamoorthi slams US education dept after Bo French’s South Asian student post
Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has criticised the US Department of Education over its “Make college football great again” post, saying it came days after Republican Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French faced backlash for comments about South Asian students at the University of Texas.Krishnamoorthi said the Education Department appeared to be “playing dog whistles” to French’s tune, referring to the controversy that erupted after French posted a photograph of South Asian students cheering for the University of Texas Longhorns. “South Asian Americans are as American as anyone,” Krishnamoorthi said.
What did the US Education Department post?
The US Department of Education posted a graphic on September 19 showing a packed college football stadium with the words “MAKE COLLEGE FOOTBALL GREAT AGAIN” and “MAKE EDUCATION GREAT AGAIN”.The post drew criticism on social media, with some users connecting its “college football” message to the controversy surrounding French’s comments about South Asian students at the University of Texas. Some questioned whether the department’s post could be seen as support for or an endorsement of French’s remarks. The department’s post itself did not mention French or the University of Texas.
What did Bo French post about South Asian students?
The controversy began after French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, shared a photograph of South Asian students celebrating the University of Texas’ football victory.French wrote that he had heard “UT graduation this year looked like this” and added that “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined”.In another post featuring the same photograph, French said social media was showing “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners”. His comments drew bipartisan criticism, including from several Texas Republicans.Republican Senator John Cornyn condemned French’s post, asking whether other Republican officials would denounce what he described as intolerance and racism. Texas Republican lawmakers including Lacey Hull and Jared Patterson also criticised the post.French later defended his remarks and argued that the University of Texas’ admissions practices disadvantaged Texans, according to the Texas Tribune.The controversy has also drawn attention to the makeup of the University of Texas. Reuters reported that international students account for 4.3 per cent of UT Austin undergraduates, while more than 80 per cent of students are Texas residents.
