Bo French, a Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, is facing criticism after posting a photo online of University of Texas undergraduates — most of whom appeared to be Indian-American — cheering the Longhorns’ comeback win over Ohio State.
“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this,” French wrote alongside the image. “I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.” He added, “I weep for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans.”
The post drew support from some on the political right but also prompted pushback, including from a Washington Examiner opinion column that disputed French’s underlying claims.
According to that column, more than 80% of UT-Austin’s undergraduate student body are Texas residents, a figure higher than the national average for state schools. Roughly 10% of students come from outside Texas, and international students make up about 4% of the latest freshman class — in line with the national average.
The column noted that Texas grants automatic college admission to students who graduate in the top 5% of their high school class, a policy that has led to strong representation of Indian-American students, who the piece said “excel at academics.”
Indian-Americans make up about 1.5% of the total U.S. population and roughly 1.8% of Texas residents, the column said. Citing available data, it stated that 79% of Indian immigrants age 5 and older are proficient in English, about 77% of Indian-Americans age 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree, and around 45% hold advanced degrees. The median annual income among Indian-headed households was $151,200 in 2023, according to the piece, which described that figure as the highest of any ethnic group in the country. The column also said about 6% of Americans of Indian descent live below the poverty line.
The column pointed out that the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, IBM and FedEx are all Indian-American.
The piece also cited a rolling Gallup poll showing 73% of voters agreeing that immigration is a “good thing,” a figure it described as near a record high.
French has not issued a public response addressing the specific demographic figures cited in response to his post.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login