United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (May 24) dismissed attempts to paint racism against Indians as a defining characteristic of American society, saying prejudice and ignorance were problems that existed across the world and should not be used to stereotype an entire country.<\/p>\n
Rubio made the remarks during a joint media briefing with India\u2019s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi following delegation-level discussions between the two nations.<\/p>\n
Also read: End of American dream? 40% of Indian Americans consider leaving US: Study<\/a><\/p>\n The issue came up after a journalist asked Rubio about recent incidents of racism and attacks involving people of Indian origin in the US. During the exchange, Jaishankar was briefly seen smiling, a moment that stood out amid the otherwise formal diplomatic interaction.<\/p>\n Indian-American community <\/p>\n Responding to the question, Rubio remarked, \u201cEvery country in the world has stupid people,\u201d while stressing that isolated acts of racism should not be treated as representative of American society as a whole.<\/p>\n He said the Indian-American community continued to be among the most successful and respected immigrant groups in the United States, with significant contributions across technology, medicine, academia, business and public service.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Indian diaspora in the United States is extraordinarily successful,\u201d Rubio noted, adding that the actions of a small fringe did not reflect the broader values of the country.<\/p>\n Strategic relationship <\/p>\n Rubio further argued that racism and ignorance were not exclusive to one nation and could be found in societies globally. He said such incidents should not distract from the wider India-US partnership, which he described as one of Washington\u2019s most important strategic relationships.<\/p>\n