Recognizing Lunar New Year as a significant cultural holiday and encouraging local education agencies to consider closing school on the Lunar New Year.

Bill: 113-hres-457
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Introduced: 2014-01-13
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Commemorative events and holidays

Elementary and secondary education

Racial and ethnic relations

School administration
Latest action: action_date: 2014-01-13
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-01-13
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Recognizes that the Lunar New Year is a significant cultural holiday for many Asian-Americans in the United States.</p> <p>Encourages local education agencies serving a substantial Asian-American population to close schools on that day each year in recognition of its cultural significance and to reduce the waste in government resources necessitated by holding school open on a day when a substantial portion of the student or teacher population is absent.</p> <UL> </UL>

tv_txt: IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 457 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 13, 2014 Ms. Meng submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce RESOLUTION Recognizing Lunar New Year as a significant cultural holiday and encouraging local education agencies to consider closing school on the Lunar New Year.

Whereas Lunar New Year begins on the new moon, or first day of the new year of the lunisolar calendar, and extends until the full moon 15 days later; Whereas the 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival; Whereas Lunar New Year is also often referred to as Spring Festival in various Asian countries; Whereas many religious and ethnic communities also use lunar-based calendars; Whereas Lunar New Year began in China over 4,000 years ago and is now widely celebrated in East and Southeast Asia; Whereas the Asian diaspora has expanded the Lunar New Year celebration into an annual worldwide event; Whereas Lunar New Year is celebrated by well over 8.7 million Asian-Americans in the United States, as well as by many non-Asian-Americans; Whereas Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated by community activities and cultural performances, and celebrants travel to spend the day reuniting with family and friends; Whereas Lunar New Year is traditionally a time to wish upon others good fortune, health, prosperity, and happiness; Whereas Lunar New Year is one of the most significant cultural holidays for Asian-Americans; Whereas Asian-American students wishing to participate in Lunar New Year celebrations must choose between absence, which could result in missing scheduled or unannounced school exams, and celebrating with family, friends, and their community; and Whereas communities with a substantial Asian-American population annually experience a large number of student or teacher absences on Lunar New Year: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes that Lunar New Year is a significant cultural holiday for many Asian-Americans in the United States; and (2) encourages local education agencies serving a substantial Asian-American population to close schools on Lunar New Year annually in recognition of the cultural significance of Lunar New Year, and to reduce the waste in government resources necessitated by holding school open on a day when a substantial portion of the student or teacher population is absent from school.