WEBVTT 00:06.050 --> 00:08.272 Ladies and gentlemen , the President of 00:08.272 --> 00:10.494 the United States and the First Lady of 00:10.494 --> 00:12.661 the United States , accompanied by the 00:12.661 --> 00:14.772 Vice President of the United States . 00:14.772 --> 00:15.772 Okay , 00:43.940 --> 00:47.000 thank you and welcome to Duval at the 00:47.000 --> 00:47.790 White House . 00:52.420 --> 00:55.390 It's wonderful to be here with so many 00:55.390 --> 00:58.880 friends . Why celebrate light on the 00:58.880 --> 01:01.750 darkest night when the moon is hardest 01:01.750 --> 01:05.560 to find , because that's when we 01:05.560 --> 01:08.680 need it most . When we realize that 01:08.690 --> 01:12.170 even the smallest flame can illuminate 01:12.180 --> 01:15.440 our path home , that the sweetest 01:15.440 --> 01:19.040 delicacies are made with love , that 01:19.040 --> 01:22.150 the most rewarding gifts are those we 01:22.160 --> 01:25.750 give to others , and that simple clay 01:25.750 --> 01:29.740 lamps burning together can outshine 01:29.750 --> 01:33.710 any moon . All of us will 01:33.710 --> 01:36.760 face darkness at some point , but we 01:36.760 --> 01:40.320 are never alone . And as we chart our 01:40.320 --> 01:43.540 path towards the future , this 01:43.550 --> 01:47.300 community helps light our way forward 01:47.310 --> 01:50.580 with courage and kindness , with 01:50.580 --> 01:54.470 persistence and faith with love . 01:55.240 --> 01:58.580 I'm grateful that today these ideas 01:58.580 --> 02:02.090 have guided you to this home home that 02:02.100 --> 02:05.140 belongs to all of you , the 02:11.290 --> 02:13.510 the Nobel prize winning poet Tagore 02:13.510 --> 02:17.230 once wrote , The sky is flushed with 02:17.230 --> 02:20.340 the dawn and my path lies 02:20.340 --> 02:24.120 beautiful . Ask not what I have 02:24.120 --> 02:27.890 with me to take their . I start on my 02:27.890 --> 02:30.980 journey with empty hands and an 02:30.980 --> 02:34.650 expectant heart . Today we come 02:34.650 --> 02:37.670 here with empty hands and expected 02:37.680 --> 02:40.980 hearts surrounded by each other's 02:40.990 --> 02:44.200 light . And though at times we will 02:44.200 --> 02:48.000 travel through the darkness , we never 02:48.010 --> 02:51.180 walk alone . Our paths are 02:51.180 --> 02:54.100 bright and glorious as we shine 02:54.100 --> 02:57.520 together . Now I'm 02:57.520 --> 03:00.620 grateful to introduce a friend who has 03:00.620 --> 03:04.490 become a light to both joe and 03:04.490 --> 03:07.900 to me Kamala . Your 03:23.090 --> 03:26.560 your warmth , wisdom and strength 03:26.570 --> 03:29.640 are a beacon to us all . 03:29.650 --> 03:32.690 Everyone please join me in 03:32.690 --> 03:36.420 welcoming the Vice president , Kamala 03:36.430 --> 03:37.190 Harris , 03:46.680 --> 03:49.010 Happy Diwali , everyone 03:52.450 --> 03:54.960 I want to thank the first lady dr Jill 03:54.960 --> 03:58.800 biden for always being such a light 03:58.810 --> 04:00.866 within our administration and a dear 04:00.866 --> 04:02.977 friend , thank you for that beautiful 04:02.977 --> 04:04.977 introduction . Thank you and to our 04:04.977 --> 04:07.250 incredible president joe biden . Um you 04:07.250 --> 04:09.306 know the White House is the people's 04:09.306 --> 04:12.850 house . And together these two 04:13.830 --> 04:16.250 our president and first lady have once 04:16.250 --> 04:20.100 again made this place a place where 04:20.110 --> 04:23.830 every american can celebrate and honor 04:23.840 --> 04:26.910 their traditions and we know and 04:26.910 --> 04:28.466 understand the significance 04:32.340 --> 04:34.470 and we have learned , we cannot take 04:34.470 --> 04:37.340 that for granted . And so to the two of 04:37.340 --> 04:39.451 you , I thank you deeply for all that 04:39.451 --> 04:41.620 you are and it is so good to be with 04:41.620 --> 04:44.170 everyone here tonight . Of course we 04:44.170 --> 04:46.337 join with more than one billion people 04:46.337 --> 04:49.330 around the world to light the dire 04:50.030 --> 04:53.580 and to celebrate the fight for good 04:53.590 --> 04:56.950 over evil , knowledge over 04:56.950 --> 05:00.400 ignorance and light over 05:00.400 --> 05:04.260 darkness . I have personally such 05:04.260 --> 05:07.310 fond memories of celebrating Diwali as 05:07.310 --> 05:11.100 a child . Um Like many of you , 05:11.110 --> 05:13.277 we would go to India about every other 05:13.277 --> 05:16.180 year , avoiding monsoon season . Um 05:17.320 --> 05:20.240 and we would go for the volley and I 05:20.240 --> 05:22.520 have such fond memories of waking up in 05:22.520 --> 05:24.650 the middle of the night , me and my 05:24.650 --> 05:27.640 sister Maya and going of course to the 05:27.640 --> 05:30.330 eldest in our family which is was our 05:30.330 --> 05:34.200 grandfather and and then later in the 05:34.200 --> 05:36.920 day my mother would give us lit 05:36.920 --> 05:39.200 sparklers and we would go into the 05:39.200 --> 05:42.020 streets to celebrate this very 05:42.030 --> 05:44.780 important occasion . As many of you 05:44.780 --> 05:46.947 know , my mother arrived in the United 05:46.947 --> 05:50.090 States at the age of 19 when she came 05:50.090 --> 05:52.560 to the United States to study . Um she 05:52.560 --> 05:54.980 arrived by herself but it was her goal 05:54.980 --> 05:57.510 in her mission to study , to become a 05:57.510 --> 06:00.710 breast cancer researcher and in our 06:00.710 --> 06:02.821 country in this country , she built a 06:02.821 --> 06:05.360 life . She earned her PhD and she 06:05.360 --> 06:09.140 excelled in her field and she raised my 06:09.140 --> 06:12.770 sister and me and it is because of 06:12.780 --> 06:15.600 her dedication , her 06:15.610 --> 06:18.610 determination and her courage 06:19.740 --> 06:22.230 that I stand before you as Vice 06:22.230 --> 06:24.063 President of the United States . 06:34.390 --> 06:37.660 So as we all know , Diwali is a holiday 06:37.660 --> 06:40.790 of hope as with so many cultures , 06:40.800 --> 06:44.340 Diwali reminds us to see the light 06:45.130 --> 06:48.310 in our world , in each other 06:49.110 --> 06:52.490 and in ourselves . We also are 06:52.490 --> 06:55.470 reminded to shine our light 06:56.470 --> 07:00.220 in the darkness , to fight for peace 07:01.200 --> 07:04.270 for justice for understanding . 07:05.390 --> 07:09.280 Even as powerful forces work to 07:09.280 --> 07:13.090 so hate and division . We 07:13.090 --> 07:16.770 remember that in these moments 07:16.780 --> 07:20.540 where we see darkness , our light 07:20.550 --> 07:23.660 shines the brightest . That is part of 07:23.660 --> 07:26.290 what we are reminded of in the valley . 07:26.850 --> 07:30.550 In moments of darkness we see the 07:30.550 --> 07:33.780 light . So today as we celebrate the 07:33.780 --> 07:36.980 valley , let us continue to make real , 07:37.650 --> 07:41.380 the ideals of our nation , the ideals 07:41.380 --> 07:45.200 of freedom , democracy and 07:45.200 --> 07:48.780 equality for all together . Let 07:48.780 --> 07:52.520 us all together light the way 07:52.530 --> 07:54.310 toward a better future . 08:01.530 --> 08:05.010 And now and now it is my 08:05.020 --> 08:08.190 great honor to introduce a leader who 08:08.190 --> 08:12.080 fights every day to bring light to our 08:12.080 --> 08:15.420 nation . Our President joe biden . 08:25.690 --> 08:29.500 Thank you Kamala . And before I 08:29.500 --> 08:32.100 began , how are you guys doing out 08:32.100 --> 08:35.480 front there ? How are you ? 08:36.270 --> 08:40.160 You wanna come up here ? Come 08:40.160 --> 08:43.620 on . You don't have to , but you can't , 08:45.340 --> 08:46.784 can you walk him around ? 09:17.290 --> 09:20.830 This is my impression of light . 09:29.470 --> 09:31.900 Now . If you guys get bored , you can 09:31.900 --> 09:33.956 go back . It's not gonna take long . 09:34.940 --> 09:38.240 All right , Kamala thank you very much . 09:38.240 --> 09:40.351 And one of things I admire most about 09:40.351 --> 09:43.520 Kamala . She often , she often talks 09:43.520 --> 09:46.320 about her mom . Like we all talked 09:46.320 --> 09:48.376 about her mom . Like I talk about my 09:48.376 --> 09:51.620 mom and uh and like I'm getting a lot 09:51.620 --> 09:54.760 to talk about my mom these days , moms 09:54.760 --> 09:56.871 are always with us . No matter what I 09:56.871 --> 09:58.927 know well celebrating to ali about a 09:58.927 --> 10:01.320 few years days ago , it was also 10:01.330 --> 10:02.774 commonwealth's birthday . 10:06.740 --> 10:08.220 She turned 30 . 10:11.070 --> 10:13.800 Happy birthday . Great President ! We 10:13.800 --> 10:16.540 know your mom is always with you all 10:16.540 --> 10:19.650 the time and I want to thank you for 10:19.650 --> 10:22.220 the courage it took for her and for so 10:22.220 --> 10:24.860 many of you out there to uh actually 10:24.860 --> 10:26.804 pick up and move your families and 10:26.804 --> 10:29.040 start the journey to America . It's 10:29.040 --> 10:31.490 pretty amazing . The sacrifices to 10:31.490 --> 10:33.830 leave everything behind , choose to 10:33.830 --> 10:36.400 believe the idea that this nation this 10:36.400 --> 10:39.860 nation has a singular place in the 10:39.860 --> 10:43.600 place of possibilities . And Admiral 10:43.600 --> 10:45.910 great to see you . Our surgeon general 10:45.910 --> 10:48.790 is here to make old traditions and new 10:53.630 --> 10:56.210 and tell the ongoing story of America . 10:56.220 --> 10:58.442 The story that is firmly stamped in the 10:58.442 --> 11:00.220 indian american and south asian 11:00.220 --> 11:02.387 american experience . That's why we're 11:02.387 --> 11:04.498 here today . You know , late november 11:04.498 --> 11:07.190 2016 when one of the last events I 11:07.190 --> 11:09.190 hosted at a really nice house , the 11:09.190 --> 11:11.750 Vice President's Naval Observatory , 11:12.550 --> 11:14.772 which was the official Vice president's 11:14.772 --> 11:16.880 residence . And is it was the first 11:17.290 --> 11:19.900 volley reception ever to be held there . 11:20.620 --> 11:22.850 I'm an irish catholic and opening our 11:22.850 --> 11:25.330 home for holidays observed by Hindus 11:25.330 --> 11:28.430 Buddhists , Janice seeks that night we 11:28.430 --> 11:30.541 were joined by Muslims christians and 11:30.541 --> 11:32.374 people representing diversity in 11:32.374 --> 11:34.541 diaspora here in America from all over 11:34.541 --> 11:37.400 the world including then newly elected 11:37.410 --> 11:39.521 indian american members of congress , 11:39.521 --> 11:41.577 two of whom are here today . Row and 11:41.577 --> 11:43.650 raj . Where are you ? 11:48.370 --> 11:50.203 Are these your daughter and your 11:50.203 --> 11:53.870 Children ? Oh God love you . They had 11:53.870 --> 11:57.220 to be yours . Mhm . 11:58.110 --> 12:01.240 Is that is that daddy ? Is that daddy 12:01.240 --> 12:02.240 right there . 12:06.370 --> 12:08.830 I tell you what we have a lot in common 12:08.830 --> 12:10.774 old buddy . We both married way up 12:14.470 --> 12:16.470 rise . I want to thank you for your 12:16.470 --> 12:18.670 leadership and two other members who 12:18.670 --> 12:20.448 couldn't be here but send their 12:20.448 --> 12:23.760 greetings . Uh you know the and they 12:23.770 --> 12:27.410 are both very good friends and wanted 12:27.410 --> 12:29.050 to be here . Pramila 12:29.060 --> 12:31.750 way 12:32.560 --> 12:36.150 Pramila jayapal and uh and army 12:36.150 --> 12:39.160 bar wanted to be here but there are 12:39.160 --> 12:41.327 also two great leaders who couldn't be 12:41.327 --> 12:43.382 here tonight . You know that evening 12:43.382 --> 12:46.520 back in 2016 came under darkness of the 12:46.530 --> 12:49.240 night sky but also darkness from an 12:49.240 --> 12:52.240 election of shadow and suspicion . 12:52.250 --> 12:55.130 Immigrant families were vilified and 12:55.130 --> 12:58.190 shamed as we uh as a prelude to what 12:58.190 --> 13:01.420 was to come at the time . Yet that 13:01.430 --> 13:03.740 night that Diwali night we gathered 13:03.740 --> 13:05.980 together to cast the light of hope and 13:05.990 --> 13:09.040 belonging and purpose . We gathered 13:09.040 --> 13:11.940 that uh and we bonded a sense of 13:11.940 --> 13:14.162 community that I hadn't seen in a while 13:14.162 --> 13:17.100 across race and faith and to believe 13:17.100 --> 13:20.250 that in America , how we know and how 13:20.250 --> 13:22.900 we love you know it was , it was a 13:22.900 --> 13:25.690 gathering of light . While uh while 13:25.690 --> 13:27.801 there had been Diwali celebrations of 13:27.801 --> 13:29.968 previous administrations were gathered 13:29.968 --> 13:32.690 here six years later as your president 13:32.690 --> 13:36.050 first lady and as vice president uh we 13:36.050 --> 13:38.260 are honored to host you as the first , 13:38.260 --> 13:40.427 this is the first walleye reception of 13:40.427 --> 13:42.520 this scale in this house ever to be 13:42.520 --> 13:43.040 held . 13:53.360 --> 13:56.770 Are you getting tired ? You wanna see 13:58.270 --> 14:00.920 you want me to get a seat for you ? Oh 14:00.920 --> 14:04.870 you're okay . Okay . We 14:04.870 --> 14:07.100 just need to DEA surrounded by members 14:07.100 --> 14:08.711 of our staff who are part of 14:08.711 --> 14:10.970 administration . We have more asian 14:10.970 --> 14:13.330 americans than ever before in history . 14:13.340 --> 14:15.562 And we also wanted to send this message 14:15.562 --> 14:17.880 to all of you here and the millions of 14:17.880 --> 14:19.880 fellow americans across the country 14:19.880 --> 14:21.824 observe this sacred holidays . The 14:21.824 --> 14:24.790 simple message . Thank you , thank you . 14:24.800 --> 14:26.880 Thank you . Thank you . 14:30.150 --> 14:32.261 Thank you for making this celebration 14:32.261 --> 14:34.150 of Diwali . Such a joyous part of 14:34.150 --> 14:36.230 american culture as we see it across 14:36.230 --> 14:38.397 the country , opening homes and hearts 14:38.397 --> 14:40.286 and exchange gifts and sweets and 14:40.286 --> 14:42.920 hosting feasts and for family and 14:42.920 --> 14:45.450 friends , organizing cultural programs 14:45.450 --> 14:47.920 that bring us together as a people you 14:47.920 --> 14:50.350 know , through all that you contribute 14:50.360 --> 14:52.370 as well beyond in every part of 14:52.370 --> 14:54.730 american life . Thank you . Thank you 14:54.730 --> 14:57.350 for reflecting the soul of who we are 14:57.350 --> 15:00.010 as a nation and what is the soul ? I'm 15:00.010 --> 15:01.899 often asked since I said I always 15:01.899 --> 15:03.788 wanted to restore the soul of the 15:03.788 --> 15:05.954 nation . What's the soul ? The soul to 15:05.954 --> 15:07.788 me is the breath of life and the 15:07.788 --> 15:09.954 essence of who we are , The souls that 15:09.954 --> 15:13.670 makes us us optimism that is tested 15:13.680 --> 15:16.450 and yet endures courage that digs 15:16.450 --> 15:19.720 really deep when it's needed truth and 15:19.720 --> 15:22.350 knowledge that overcomes falsehood and 15:22.350 --> 15:24.572 ignorance and empathy and a willingness 15:24.572 --> 15:27.410 to see each other not as enemies but as 15:27.410 --> 15:29.930 fellow americans , you know , that's 15:29.940 --> 15:31.780 that's all of you . That's the 15:31.780 --> 15:34.310 incredible South asian community all 15:34.310 --> 15:36.790 across America , helping us emerge 15:36.790 --> 15:38.957 stronger from this pandemic , building 15:38.957 --> 15:40.901 an economy that works for everyone 15:40.901 --> 15:43.220 teaching our Children and caring for 15:43.220 --> 15:46.290 our elders , responding to the cry for 15:46.290 --> 15:49.010 action on climate , working to fix our 15:49.010 --> 15:51.066 immigration and defending rights and 15:51.066 --> 15:53.370 freedoms , building a more just and 15:53.370 --> 15:56.030 equitable country , serving and 15:56.030 --> 15:57.974 protecting our communities and our 15:57.974 --> 15:59.974 nation and forming , entertaining , 15:59.974 --> 16:01.974 inspiring you know , together we're 16:01.974 --> 16:03.863 showing that we can do big things 16:03.863 --> 16:05.974 supporting our veterans ending cancer 16:05.974 --> 16:08.252 as we know it . Taking on gun violence . 16:08.252 --> 16:10.740 And by the way , we're going to ban 16:10.740 --> 16:12.907 assault weapons before I'm out of this 16:12.907 --> 16:12.860 place . 16:22.830 --> 16:24.830 I did it before . We're gonna do it 16:24.830 --> 16:28.100 again . We know there's always darkness 16:28.100 --> 16:29.767 lurking as this community has 16:29.767 --> 16:31.960 experienced much too often . Our 16:31.960 --> 16:34.016 history has been a constant struggle 16:34.016 --> 16:36.127 between the american ideal that we're 16:36.127 --> 16:38.340 all created equal to the harsh reality 16:38.350 --> 16:40.590 that racism and fear of long torn us 16:40.590 --> 16:44.590 apart . Hate only hides . I used to 16:44.590 --> 16:46.701 think we could defeat hate coming out 16:46.701 --> 16:48.812 of the civil rights movement , but it 16:48.812 --> 16:50.923 only hides it hides under rocks until 16:50.923 --> 16:52.979 it's given oxygen . And it comes out 16:52.979 --> 16:54.812 when prejudice , people speak it 16:55.170 --> 16:58.680 violent extremists and a rising threat . 16:58.690 --> 17:00.912 I ran for office to restore the soul of 17:00.912 --> 17:03.023 the nation . And I've made clear that 17:03.023 --> 17:05.190 since I was elected , hate can have no 17:05.190 --> 17:07.670 safe harbor in this country , failure 17:07.670 --> 17:11.540 to call it out is complicity . Silence 17:11.540 --> 17:14.040 is complicity . We're not gonna 17:15.020 --> 17:18.370 thank you . Thank you . 17:19.640 --> 17:22.040 We're not going to remain silent . The 17:22.040 --> 17:24.262 wally is a reminder that each of us has 17:24.262 --> 17:26.151 the power has the power to dispel 17:26.151 --> 17:29.130 darkness and bring light to the world . 17:29.140 --> 17:31.570 It's a choice . We make that choice 17:31.570 --> 17:34.980 every day . It's true in our lives and 17:34.980 --> 17:37.280 in the life of this nation , especially 17:37.290 --> 17:40.840 in the life of a democracy Whether here 17:40.850 --> 17:43.970 in America or for the families back in 17:43.970 --> 17:47.470 India marking 75 years of independence 17:48.160 --> 17:50.327 and whether it's the United Kingdom or 17:50.327 --> 17:52.150 just today , we've got news . 17:54.920 --> 17:58.000 Yeah , she took is now the prime 17:58.000 --> 18:01.130 minister as my brother would say . Go 18:01.130 --> 18:01.740 figure 18:05.120 --> 18:08.590 and the Conservative Party expected to 18:08.590 --> 18:10.479 become the prime minister I think 18:10.479 --> 18:12.590 tomorrow when he goes to see the king 18:12.590 --> 18:14.750 pretty astounding a groundbreaking 18:14.750 --> 18:17.080 milestone and it matters , it matters . 18:17.090 --> 18:20.030 Let me close with this . Few periods 18:20.030 --> 18:22.252 have been more challenging to our world 18:22.252 --> 18:24.141 than the one we're in right now . 18:24.141 --> 18:26.030 Reflation Inflection . We face an 18:26.030 --> 18:28.252 inflection point . One of those moments 18:28.252 --> 18:30.020 that only come every several 18:30.020 --> 18:32.270 generations where so much is changing 18:32.270 --> 18:34.170 and happening technologically , 18:34.180 --> 18:36.610 politically , socially environmentally . 18:36.620 --> 18:39.750 That the decisions we make today are 18:39.750 --> 18:41.861 going to determine the future for the 18:41.861 --> 18:45.640 next several decades . Now . Now more 18:45.640 --> 18:48.120 than ever , we need you engaged to do 18:48.120 --> 18:50.342 the work of our time . The work for all 18:50.342 --> 18:52.509 time . We need you to help fulfill the 18:52.509 --> 18:54.720 promises nation , the same promise of 18:54.720 --> 18:56.831 opportunity and equality that brought 18:56.831 --> 18:59.053 you and your families here in the first 18:59.053 --> 19:01.109 place to this great nation . For the 19:01.109 --> 19:03.220 american story depends not in any one 19:03.220 --> 19:07.120 of us . You can sit down hard to 19:07.120 --> 19:09.400 stand . It's getting hard to stand I 19:09.400 --> 19:13.320 think not for 19:13.320 --> 19:15.800 some of us , but for all of us , that's 19:15.800 --> 19:18.133 what I hope you take away from this day , 19:18.133 --> 19:20.356 chance to celebrate and connect to feel 19:20.356 --> 19:22.356 the pride of community and remember 19:22.356 --> 19:24.120 from darkness is power and the 19:24.120 --> 19:26.770 gathering of late . You know , you have 19:26.770 --> 19:29.360 to remember who we are with the United 19:29.360 --> 19:31.650 States of America . There's nothing 19:31.660 --> 19:33.790 nothing beyond our capacity when we 19:33.790 --> 19:36.520 work together so happy to Wally's all 19:36.520 --> 19:38.820 your families and God bless you and 19:38.820 --> 19:39.710 protect you . 19:50.280 --> 19:50.780 Mhm .