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United States President Joe Biden on Monday hosted a Diwali celebration at the White House that was attended by more than 600 eminent Indian Americans, including Congressmen, officials, and corporate executives, from across the country.
"As President, I've been honoured to host the biggest Diwali receptions ever at the White House. To me, it means a great deal. As Senator, Vice President, and President; South Asian Americans have been key 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 could not attend the event as they are on the campaign trail.
Biden's remarks were preceded by Vice Admiral Vivek H Murthy, US Surgeon General; Sunita Williams, Retired Navy Officer and NASA Astronaut who sent a recorded video message from the International Space Station and Shrusti Amula, Indian-American Youth Activist who introduced the president.
"In late November 2016, a dark cloud formed from hate and hostility toward immigrants, including South Asian Americans. We hear once again in 2024. It was then that Jill and I 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 think about that journey of light. 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.