President Joe Biden Hosts Diwali Celebration at the White House with Indian American Leaders

President Joe Biden Hosts Grand Diwali Celebration at the White House, Honoring Indian Americans and Highlighting Diversity Ahead of 2024 Elections

US President Joe Biden hosted a spectacular Diwali celebration at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday in recognition of the contributions and achievements of the Indian American community. More than 600 distinguished Indian Americans, including congressmen, business leaders, and notable figures from various fields, attended the event in the historic East Room. The celebration is set against the backdrop of the approaching 2024 presidential election, where South Asian Americans are considered essential to the country’s democracy.

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President Biden entered the function with a heart-warming gesture: holding the hands of Soren and Zara, the children of US Congressman Ro Khanna, as a symbol that the next generation of Indian Americans was important. He said that South Asian Americans play a pivotal role in shaping the nation and asked them to thank them for their achievements and accomplishments in every sector. According to Biden, the event seemed quintessential to America’s identity, as well as democracy.

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President Biden reflected further on how long it has been since the White House first started the tradition of celebrating Diwali back in 2003. He recalled hosting his first-ever Diwali reception in 2016 when he and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, welcomed the guests to celebrate the festival of lights and its message of hope and unity.

Reaffirming his commitment to diversity, he pointed out during his speech Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman of South Asian origin to assume the office and US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, whose parents hail from Karnataka, India.

As part of the celebrations, President Biden lit a ceremonial diya which symbolized the victory of light over darkness. He was eloquent in stating how the light in the path of American democracy is necessary to be able to reach that goal, and by referring to the Diwali festival, he highlighted how the country is being confronted with similar challenges as before.

He termed the forthcoming elections as an “inflection point” in the history of the nation and appealed to the public to realize how far the nation has progressed from the time of fear and suspicion against immigrants to proud celebration of diversity and cultural heritage.

It made the event even more special as Indian-American retired U.S. Navy officer and NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams left behind a recorded message for Diwali, this year it was the day the ISS crossed the horizon. The occasion has brought home what Williams shared on having experienced Diwali from a height of 260 miles above the earth. Williams said that she feels proud of her Indian origin, but that would not keep her forgetting Indian culture as part of her life here in America.

This White House Diwali celebration highlighted the importance of cultural diversity in America and the positive impact the Indian American community makes on society.

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