Biden: ‘We are a nation of immigrants and that is why we are so damn strong’

With a salsa beat playing in the background, the White House East Room welcomed around 200 people on Wednesday for a a reception with President Joe Biden to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month. Greeted with shouts of “Thank you Joe,” the president congratulated the audience for the contribution that Hispanic people have made to the country. “We are a nation of immigrants and that is why we are so damn strong,” he stressed.

Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Biden did allude to remarks that the Republican presidential candidate has made in recent months with regard to Hispanic immigrants, in a bid to underscore the Democrats’ differences with the former president on a key issue in this election campaign, namely the Latino vote: “We do not demonize immigrants, we do not single them out for attacks, we do not believe they are ‘poisoning the blood’ of the country.”

In a speech lasting about 15 minutes, the president referred to the Irish origins of his ancestors and acknowledged that many Hispanic families have been in the country longer than his own. He referred to those present as “your ancestors’ dream” and recognized “the courage of so many of our and your ancestors who came to America to start a new life.” The president received a standing ovation at various points in his speech and shouts of “Thank you, Joe!” were heard.

Biden stressed the importance of the Latino population in the future of the United States and noted that 25% of school-age children are Hispanic. “What is going to happen in the next 10 or 12 years is going to change the dynamics of this country in a big way,” he said, highlighting the growing importance of the Latino community.

Latinos are the demographic group that has grown the most since the last election and with 36.2 million voters they represent 14% of all citizens eligible to vote in the country. The key to the White House could be in their hands. Since 2020, four million new voters have joined the ranks: every 30 seconds a Latino turns 18, the age required to vote.

Actress and producer Jessica Alba, who introduced the president, also mentioned the Hispanic origins of her own family and talked about her Mexican great-grandparents, who arrived in the United States at the beginning of the last century.

Biden managed to get some laughs from the audience: “Nanette is crazy about me now. I’m leaving, so she loves me,” he said, referring to Nanette Barragán, president of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He also joked about the fact that in a few months he will leave the presidency. “Jessica, If I’m really good, maybe you can get me a job,” he said.

The president also took the opportunity to highlight the achievements of his term that affect the Hispanic community, such as having created more than five million jobs for Hispanic Americans and having expanded health coverage in the Hispanic community and access to university. In a triumphant tone, he stated that the United States is “the only country that’s come through every crisis stronger than we entered it,” adding that the American economy is the best in the world.

Biden said goodbye before guests continued the celebration with a live band playing the Lambada: “I know I look like I’m 40, but I’m a lot older,” he joked, reminding the audience about the importance of voting on November 5, as this may be “the single most consequential election in the lifetime of anyone standing here.”

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