(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) – Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Das Williams (D-Carpinteria), the Vice Chair and Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, announced new legislation to permanently recognize Lunar New Year in California.
Assembly Bill (AB) 2598 would designate Lunar New Year’s Day as having special significance to the State of California, encourage schools to conduct culturally appropriate activities and exercises in observance of the occasion, and directs the governor to annually proclaim the date corresponding with the lunar calendar as Lunar New Year’s Day. The bill is also authored by Assemblymembers Rob Bonta (D-Alameda), Ed Chau (D-Arcadia), David Chu (D-San Francisco), Kansen Chu (D-San Jose) and Evan Low (D-Campbell) along with Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento).
“Lunar New Year is celebrated by millions of people in communities across California,” said Ting. “In my home of San Francisco, the celebration is among the oldest in the state and the largest outside of China. It’s time to honor this tradition and its contribution to California, just like other important holidays.”
"Chinese Americans, Korean Americans, and Southeast Asian refugees coming to this nation in the 1970s, have a long history of celebrating Lunar New Year in California," stated Williams. “With Asian and Pacific Islander Americans as one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in this state, recognizing the importance of Lunar New Year is a testament of California’s embrace of its immigrant communities.”
The bill adopts findings and declarations of the State Legislature that highlight the significance of uniting families through immigration services and improved health outcomes for all through health care reform to underscore the spirit of Lunar New Year.
On immigration, the bill reads,“The spirit of Lunar New Year is especially significant for communities whose families have been forcibly kept separated, both historically through discriminatory and xenophobic laws such as the Chinese exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Act of 1917 that barred Asian and Pacific Islander immigration into the United States, and currently in light of continued deportations and challenges to programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivials (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) that aim to keep families unified.”
On health care reform, the bill declares,”The Lunar New Year is also a celebration of prosperity, strength, good health, and long life. Policies like the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) and extensions of the Med-Cal program to all children, including those who are undocumented, ensure access to comprehensive health insurance, instead of reliance on emergency care, so all members of the community can benefit from positive health outcomes.”
The API Caucus was established in 2001 with the mission of representing and advocating for the interests of the diverse API communities throughout California. Further information about AB 2598 is available online at www.leginfo.ca.gov.