Local elected seeks Lunar New Year school holiday
State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblymember Ron Kim have spearheaded a letter signed by 18 elected officials, dated Monday, March 9, applauding Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to add two Muslim holidays to the list of school holidays, and urging him to do the same with Lunar New Year.
“For far too long, Asian American kids, including myself, grew up in this city feeling marginalized and ‘un-American’ for celebrating their culture,” said Kim, stressing that Asian-American students comprise approximately 15 percent of all public school students in the city. “Acknowledging some cultures but not others, the mayor is playing a dangerous game by invalidating and further marginalizing ethnic communities.
“Let’s use this chance to celebrate our diversity, not fuel deeper divides in our city,” he said.