Indian reputation was at an all-time high somewhere in between "Eat, Pray, Love" (2010) and before the cancelation of Apu from Simpsons. When very few in the west had experience with indians in general.

Now their reputation is dipping below africans, arabs and gypsies.

As it turns out Apu wasn't a negative stereotype. He was a fucking role model compared to the average indian. Everyone fucking hates indians now, and they caused this themselves.