U.S. Rep. Grace Meng has launched laws to make Lunar New 12 months a federally acknowledged vacation.
Through Getty Photographs and QNS File
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U.S. Rep. Grace Meng has reintroduced measures to make the Lunar New 12 months a federal vacation together with a decision to acknowledge the historic and cultural significance of the standard Asian vacation.
Meng, the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), has launched the Lunar New 12 months Day Act in Congress, which might make Lunar New 12 months the twelfth federally acknowledged vacation in america.
The measure, which has 39 co-sponsors, goals to acknowledge the significance of Lunar New 12 months to hundreds of thousands of Asian-Individuals throughout the US.
“Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays for many in the Asian American community and is celebrated by millions in the United States and around the world. It is past time that Congress recognizes this holiday on the federal level, and I am proud to be leading the effort to make this a reality,” Meng mentioned in a press release.
Meng beforehand launched payments in 2021 and 2023 to make Lunar New 12 months a federal vacation. As well as, she has put forth a separate decision recognizing the cultural significance of Lunar New 12 months for the Asian American neighborhood.
The decision, backed by 50 co-sponsors, highlights the significance of the vacation and extends nicely needs to these celebrating.
“As programs that benefit our communities come under attack, it is more important than ever to uplift the contributions, traditions, and achievements of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and I will continue fighting to ensure their voices are heard in Congress. May this new year bring happiness, prosperity and good health for all who celebrate,” Meng mentioned.
Lunar New 12 months, also called the Spring Competition, celebrates the arrival of spring and the beginning of a recent 12 months primarily based on the Chinese language lunisolar calendar. It’s celebrated in quite a few nations throughout Asia, together with Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Lunar New 12 months is well known on the primary day of the lunar calendar, which normally falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. The date varies annually primarily based on the lunar cycle. This 12 months’s vacation is acknowledged on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and celebrates the 12 months of the Snake. Communities throughout New York Metropolis will host Lunar New 12 months-themed occasions over the subsequent month, together with conventional cultural celebrations resembling lion and dragon dancing, fireworks, and conventional lantern shows.
In the meantime, Meng additionally performed a task in creating a college vacation for New York Metropolis faculties on Lunar New 12 months, supporting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 laws declaring Lunar New 12 months a public college vacation in New York State. Meng first proposed closing New York faculties for the Lunar New 12 months when she was a member of the New York State Legislature in 2009.
Meng represents New York’s sixth Congressional District, which encompasses central and japanese Queens, together with Bayside, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Center Village, and Rego Park. As the primary Asian American elected to Congress from New York, Meng has been a vocal advocate for immigrant communities, small companies, and cultural recognition initiatives, together with efforts to make Lunar New 12 months a federal vacation.
