A heated online debate began after a claim that Asian, especially Indian, students cheat during exams at Rutgers University. An X user said his father, a computer science teacher there for over 10 years, came home "upset and demoralized" because students would "cheat en masse on exams" and deny it when caught. The post suggested this showed "different philosophies of success." American political scientist Richard Hanania responded sharply. He wrote on X, "Yeah, well I’ve never seen an Indian cheat in my life!" He added that these claims often come from racism: "Some forms of racism rely on data. Others rely on anecdotes. Don’t be an anecdotal racist. It’s too easy to tell yourself stories you want to hear." Hanania has a history of defending Indians and Asian communities. Earlier this month, he praised Indian workers in Germany after a report showed they earn the highest median pay. He said, "Indians win again. How can a group be so beneficial while bringing no harms across so many countries? It’s absolutely awe-inspiring." He also calls anti-Indian hate "the dumbest form of racism" and supports H-1B visas that let skilled foreigners work in the US legally. He often speaks out against anti-India views in conservative circles, naming figures like Steve Bannon and Ron DeSantis. Indian and other Asian students are the largest group of international students in the US, with Indians being the biggest single group. They mainly study STEM subjects like engineering and computer science. Many are graduate students and contribute significantly through tuition, research, and skills.