United States President Joe Biden hosted a celebration of Diwali Monday at the White House as more than 600 the country's top Indian-American Congressmen, officials and corporate executives thronged the event from all quarters.
"It means a lot to me because as the President, I've had the honor to host some of the largest Diwali receptions ever held on this campus," Biden said to the guests. As senator, vice president, and now president; South Asian Americans have been integral members of my staff. From Kamala to Dr. Murthy to so many of you here today, I'm proud that I kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America, Biden said in a standing-only packed East Room of the White House.
Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were absent as they campaigned. Biden spoke briefly before Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, US Surgeon General; Sunita Williams, Retired Navy Officer and NASA Astronaut, with a recorded video message sent from the International Space Station; and Shrusti Amula, Indian-American Youth Activist, introduced him.
Late November 2016 marked a dark cloud forming over hate and hostility toward immigrants, South Asian Americans in particular. We hear again in 2024. That is when Jill and I first hosted the first Diwali reception, and it was at the Vice President's residence. An Irish Catholic President, Vice President at the time, opened our home for holiday celebrations by Hindus, Buddhists, Jainists, Sikhs, and more. How America reminds us all of our power to be the light, all of us, he said.
Biden, who lit the formal diya in the Blue Room of the White House, said the South Asian American community has enriched every part of American life. "That's the truth. That is among the fastest-growing, most engaged communities in the country you are now," he said.
"On this day in America, we reflect on that journey of light. So early in our nation's founding, a generation before diya, in the shadow of suspicion, now in a time Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly here in the White House. We also know today we face an inflection point," he said.
"One of those rare moments that only come once every several generations, where the decisions we make today will determine the future to come for decades, literally. Every generation has been called to move us forward, to be the nation we say we are. But only once in every few generations, we are reminded not to take the idea of America for granted, because it's never guaranteed. That moment is now," Biden said.
"American democracy has never been easy. In a country as diverse as ours, we debate, we dissent as we forge a path forward through compromise and consensus. But the key is we never lose sight of how we got here and why. For me, 50 years of public service comes with the clarity of confidence in America. We're a nation with a heart, a soul that draws from old and new," he said.
"In America, everything runs deep, especially the courage to serve and protect, to heal and to bear witness, to immigrate, to dare to dream. With my presidency, I've tried to channel that American spirit by bringing to bear all my experiences and wisdom gained from it, and to get us through one of the most difficult periods in our nation's recent history, and to be a bridge between generations, like in memory and imagination," Biden said.
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