A bill proposed by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) would add a 12th federal holiday to the calendar – Lunar New Year.
The holiday, which this year fell on February 1, is already celebrated by about two-thirds of Asian Americans whose roots run through China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Meng has introduced House resolutions to recognize the importance of Lunar New Year to the nation’s Asian communities for years and did so again this week as she introduced the proposed legislation.
“With Asian Americans being the fastest growing population in our country, and with the popularity of the holiday continuing to grow, it makes sense to make Lunar New Year a federal holiday,” Meng said. “My bill, coupled with my resolution, would demonstrate that the holiday celebrated by millions is also valued by their government.”
The holiday is already recognized in some of the nation’s school districts, with schools in Iowa, New York and Virginia giving students the day off. If made a federal holiday, most federal government organizations would also close on that day.
The bill, dubbed the Lunar New Year Day Act, has 44 co-sponsors and, so far, has moved ahead free from any partisan backlash, Meng told the Washington Post. It comes amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country believed to be spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
If passed, the Lunar New Year would be the second new federal holiday ushered in under President Joe Biden, who also signed into law the establishment of Juneteenth as a new federal holiday in 2021.
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