Last night, I read from my WeChat class group that California has become the first state to recognize the Lunar New Year as an official state holiday. Via Yahoo! News, I learned more details about Governor Gavin Newsom signing AB 2596 which authorized state employees to observe the Lunar New Year. The reason is twofold: the holiday provides all of us a chance to leave behind the troubles of the past year and greet prosperity and good luck in the new year. It also acknowledges the diversity and culture of Asian Americans to California and lets the whole state celebrate.
I am immensely proud of the State of California to have achieved another FIRST in its long list of FIRSTS to be innovative and original. It is truly refreshing, after years' research on California libraries in the early 20th century.
I also feel extremely thankful, even though it has brought very few ripple effects where I am. The system I have been working for since 1999 has little knowledge of the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year. But my siblings and I celebrate the festival anyway with our families by taking time off to prepare food, writing, and calling each other and overseas relatives. It is a significant and long tradition with valid reasons as the governor has stated above. It is good to be recognized culturally and politically being Asian Americans.
