Dear John,

My greatest professional privileges are to represent my community in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and treating patients in the ER. I take seriously being a voice for the place where Veena grew up, we raised our children, and I continue to care for my neighbors as an ER Doc.

But sometimes, I have to be more than our local representative. 

Today, Donald Trump showed his racism and attacked the Indian- and Chinese-American communities who contribute to Pennsylvania and our nation every day.

To quote his Truth Social post: “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet … English is not spoken here anymore … No, they’re not like the European Americans of today and their ancestors … We’ve gone from the melting pot to the chamber pot.”

I could go on, but you get the picture.

As our first and only Indian-American State Representative, I strongly believe in our American creed of E Pluribus Unum … From Many, One and that what makes us American is our common ideals, not a blood and soil test of where we came from.

I spoke out on behalf of the communities I represent, the Indian-American community of which my family are part, and nearly all of us who have an immigrant story, faced a nativist and racist backlash, but became part of our American fabric. I called out Donald Trump for his racism

…and that response went viral - [see it here].

I will continue to stand up, but cannot do this alone. This election will be a test of what type of Pennsylvania and America we want and whether we all will stand up. Can you contribute what you can to help me stand up and urge others to do the same?

Together, we can make sure we continue to live in the America that was built not based on ancestry, but on common ideals and purpose.

Sincerely,

Rep. Arvind Venkat, MD