Over 20 State and National AAPI Leaders and Organizations Sign Letter Urging Gov. Newsom to Recognize Lunar New Year

For Immediate Release
September 26, 2022

Contact:
Luis Jimenez
swaa@fenton.com
(213) 371-6475

The letter requests Newsom’s support for Assembly Bill 2596, which would make California the first state in the country to recognize an Asian holiday

SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday, September 23, Stand with Asian Americans (SWAA) and 24 state and national leaders representing Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) across California called for Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature of Assembly Bill (A.B.) 2596, which would establish Lunar New Year as a state holiday. The bill would grant official recognition of a holiday already observed by AANHPI communities in California, home to the nation’s largest AANHPI population expected to further quadruple over the next 15 years. Due to state deadlines, Governor Newsom has until September 30th to sign the bill.

“California is home to the country’s largest Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population but has yet to recognize an official holiday that celebrates their culture,” said Justin Zhu, executive director of Stand with Asian Americans, which took part in drafting the letter. “Governor Newsom’s signing of AB 2596 will be one step in the right direction to recognize the contributions, innovation, and culture that AANHPI’s provide to California and the country.”

Beyond tangible benefits, A.B. 2596 would signify a significant social and cultural milestone for California, whose AANHPI population remains severely underrepresented across state government, corporate leadership, and media. They also experienced a 1662% increase in anti-Asian hate speech in 2020 compared to 2019 and a 339% increase in hate crimes since the onset of the pandemic. Yet AANHPIs increased their voter turnout rate faster than any other racial group between the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections, a tangible expression of their rapidly growing civic engagement and role in civic life.

According to the letter, “California has the opportunity to be the leader in addressing hate and fostering AANHPI belonging. Establishing a state holiday to recognize the contributions and history of the AANHPI community would be monumental for millions of AANHPIs.”

The signatories include the following activist leaders and organizations:

Justin Zhu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Stand with Asian Americans
Natassia Kwan, AAPI Activist
Dillon Yang, President and Alice Hu, Director of National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
Lisa P. Mak, President of Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Richard Konda, Executive Director of Asian Law Alliance
Deanna Kwong, President of Asian American Bar Association of Silicon Valley
Chun-Yen Chen, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Community Fund
Adrienne Pon, Interim Executive Director of Asian Pacific Fund
Mina Fedor, Executive Director of AAPI Youth Rising
Julia Liou, Ceo of Asian Health Services
Lily Ko, Treasurer of Be Chinatown San Francisco
Brian Quan, President of Chinese American Democratic Club
Jonathan Sit, Leadership Committee Member of Chinatown Volunteer Coalition
Walter Wong, President of Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Justin Hoover, Executive Director of Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA)
Christina Chen, Volunteer Leader of Compassion in Oakland
Amy Lee, Founder of Dear Community
Jeremy Tran, Executive Director of Gold House
Hyepin Im, President, CEO and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment
Timothy Kim, Executive Director of Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco
Carl Chan, President of Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce
Julia Quon, Co-Founder of Save Cantonese at CCSF
Dennis Wu, Chair of SF CAUSE
Mark Young, Co-Founder of Stand with Asians
Chanchanit Martorell, Executive Director of Thai Community Development Center
Karen Dea, President of Wa Sung Community Service Club

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Stand with Asian Americans is the largest coalition of Asian American entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and activists that are united in our mission to drive justice and equity for all. Anyone can get involved to use their ingenuity and talent to galvanize the next generation of Asian American activism.

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Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Email: Leg.Unit@gov.ca.gov
Re: Letter Requesting Signature & Passage of Lunar New Year Act AB 2596

Dear Governor Newsom:

On behalf of the undersigned nonprofit organizations working with and representing Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) throughout California, we write to request your signature to pass A.B. 2596, establishing Lunar New Year as a state Holiday.

I. Why Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year is the most important cultural holiday for many East and Southeast Asian communities in the United States and around the world, having originated in China over 4,000 years ago. Families gather to honor their ancestors and many AANHPI local communities celebrate the new year with ceremonies, dances, fireworks, and traditional food. Lunar New Year is a global event widely celebrated by millions of Asian Americans and many non-Asian Americans in the United States.

Lunar New Year is a uniquely significant day for millions in the AANHPI community to celebrate and remember their heritage. Just as other communities of color have lost their culture through generations of oppression and forced assimilation, AANHPI communities run the risk of losing their culture without recognition of this critical cultural holiday.

Lunar New Year is a day of fortune, prosperity, luck, and new beginnings. It is a day for celebrating family, community, and AANHPI history–including all that we have overcome, and all the work we have yet to do. The Asian American story–one of struggle, hardships, and enduring hope–is an unequivocally American one. Lunar New Year, the most important cultural holiday of millions of Asian Americans, must be acknowledged.

II. AANHPIs Are a Critical Constituency and Voting Bloc.

Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up 6.2% of the American population and 15.4% of California’s population (2020 U.S. Census), and some studies report that the AANHPI voting bloc may quadruple in the next 15 years. California has the largest AANHPI population in the country (Pew Research Center). Despite their sizable population, AANHPIs remain severely underrepresented across government, corporate leadership, and media. AANHPIs are the least likely group to hold elected office (Reflective Democracy Campaign), and the least likely group to attain management roles (Harvard Business Review).

As the fastest growing racial group, AANHPIs are dramatically rising in civic engagement and voting power. AANHPIs increased their turnout rate by more than any other racial group between the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections (2020 U.S. Census). AANHPIs are increasingly demanding change from their elected leaders through voting, organizing, and campaign donations.

III. Recognizing an AANHPI Holiday is Crucial for Addressing Hate and Fostering AANHPI Belonging.

The time for action is now. Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented crisis of racial discrimination and violence against AANHPIs. Hate crimes against AANHPIs have increased by an alarming 339% since the onset of the pandemic. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, two of California’s largest cities, hate crimes against AANHPIs in 2021 surpassed their record numbers in 2020 (Center for Study of Hate and Extremism). Anti-Asian hate speech increased by 1662% in 2020 compared to 2019. In May 2022, 21% of American adults still believe that Asian Americans are at least partly responsible for COVID-19, almost twice that of the previous year. Now more than ever, millions of AANHPI individuals in California and across the country are subjected to daily violence and discrimination in the only home they have ever known.

State holidays matter. As the state with the largest AANHPI population, California has the opportunity to be the leader in addressing hate and fostering AANHPI belonging. Establishing a state holiday to recognize the contributions and history of the AANHPI community would be monumental for millions of AANHPIs.

The passage of the Lunar New Year Act AB 2596 would be a symbol of hope and progress. By raising the visibility of a cultural tradition that is widely celebrated among the Asian diaspora, AB 2596 would help counter the marginalization the APA community has experienced, particularly over the past two years, and help project a lasting message of inclusion and diversity to all Californians.

The undersigned organizations strongly encourage Governor Newsom to sign into law A.B. 2596, a historic measure to establish the Lunar New Year as a state holiday in California.

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Stand with Asian Americans is the largest coalition of Asian American entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and activists that are united in our mission to drive justice & equity for all. Anyone can get involved to use their ingenuity and talent to galvanize the next generation of Asian American activism.