How the Anti-Indian Culture Wars Came for Frisco
A viral flag-tearing, racist remarks at council meetings, and a bitter mayoral runoff have exposed a divide over who gets to be Texan.
Shawnee Trail Elementary School is one of several polling sites for the June 13 mayoral runoff in Frisco, Texas. The election has drawn national attention for reasons that would require considerable explanation to most functioning democracies.
“They won’t even eat beef,” a man with a holstered gun at the polling site, told The Juggernaut,arms folded. The man chose not to share his name. “They’re destroying our culture.” The man was referring to Indian Americans. He wasn’t there to vote. He was “stationed” in the parking lot, making a point.
Frisco was choosing between two candidates for mayor: Mark Hill, a figure with school district ties and a coalition broad enough to require a samosa-inclined mariachi band at his campaign rally, and Rod Vilhauer, a candidate who has called Indian immigrants cockroaches, rats, and vermin in a town where 20% of its residents are Indian American.
A few weeks ago, an activist named Clayton Walker stood in the parking lot outside Frisco City Hall, and tore an Indian flag in half. He chanted. He laughed. Within days, the clip had been viewed over 10 million times. The Frisco City Council minutes summarized the episode, describing Walker having “expressed his views on the Indian American community.” So what the hell is going on in Texas? The Juggernaut spoke to Frisco residents and experts to find out.