The New York State Legislature passed a bill to include the Lunar New Year in the diversity of school holidays | Diwali Festival | Lunar New Year
According to the World Journal, the New York State House of Representatives and State Senate have recently passed a proposal to include the Lunar New Year and Diwali as school holidays in the state of New York. If Governor Hochul signs it into law, the bill will take effect on July 1st, and New York State will become the first state in the country to designate the Lunar New Year as a public school holiday.
This bill is a powerful measure by the New York State House of Representatives to recognize Asia Pacific Americans, making New York City more diverse and inclusive. In the current context of increasingly serious anti Asian hatred issues, this legislation is more meaningful and an important milestone for the Asian American community. The Lunar New Year is already a holiday for public schools in New York City.
In the state legislature, the proposal for the Lunar New Year was jointly proposed by state congressmen Colton and Lee Roewen. Li Rong'en said, "This year, I am proud to have led the movement to make the Lunar New Year a public school holiday in New York State.". She said that as a mother of three school-age children, she knows how important the Lunar New Year is for Asian families. Now, all children in New York State may have a day off to celebrate the Spring Festival with their families. Schools can also take this opportunity to discuss and learn about Asian culture in the classroom.
Last month, State House Speaker Histy announced that he hopes to include the Lunar New Year and Diwali as state school holidays because "recognizing the rich diversity of New York's culture is very important.".
After the bill was passed, Congressman Meng Zhaowen issued a statement saying, "The approval of these two bills by the state legislature is a good reminder of the enormous diversity in New York State, which should be reflected in the festivals celebrated by residents.".