Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:21pm on 31 May 2026,Sunday India Global
Indian-American teenager Shrey Parikh's victory at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee has sparked a wave of racist and anti-immigrant reactions on social media. The 14-year-old California student won the prestigious competition after correctly spelling 32 words in a record-breaking 90-second spell-off round. While many celebrated his achievement, some online users linked to the MAGA movement questioned the dominance of Indian-origin contestants and posted offensive comments targeting his ethnicity. Critics shared remarks such as, "This isn't an American, he's brown," and "Get these things out of the United States." The incident has reignited debate over immigration, identity and diversity in America. (PC: X)