SEATTLE — Washington could become the first state in the U.S. to make Lunar New Year a paid legal holiday.
Lunar New Year celebrations are cherished by many Washington residents with roots in East Asia and Southeast Asia, so establishing an official holiday would send a message of respect and solidarity, said Rep. My-Linh Thai, a Democrat, who’s sponsoring the bill in the Legislature.
House Bill 1516, Thai said, is in part a response to the racism and xenophobia that many Asian Americans have experienced historically and since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The bill would give state employees and public schools the day off. Crucially, it would also serve a symbolic purpose, said Thai, who emigrated from Vietnam as a refugee when she was 15.
