人兽性交

The reason: For the first time, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated as a public school holiday.聽

What is the Lunar New Year?聽

The celebration marks the beginning of the new year on the lunisolar calendar. It usually occurs in January or February, depending on the year. This year, it falls on Wednesday, Jan. 29.聽

Joo Han, interim executive director of the Asian American Federation in New York City, told 人兽性交 that the Lunar New Year is marked by several Asian communities, namely Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese people.聽

"It's the arrival of a new season and being able to wish for new blessings, wishing for the changes that they want and obviously, all the things that we want for a new chapter of the year," Han said.聽

Why is it important?聽

In New York and the United States, Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing demographics.聽

Nationally, the number of Asian American people increased by 38.6% from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In New York, the Asian American population has increased by 37.6%.聽

There are more than 2.1 million Asian Americans living in New York, accounting for 10% of the state's population.聽

Lunar New Year celebrations have been held for years, especially in New York City. Most Asian New Yorkers live in the state's largest city.聽

In Cayuga County, less than 1% of the population is Asian.聽

When did it become a school holiday?

Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2023 designating the Lunar New Year as a public school holiday in New York.聽

The by Assemblyman William Colton and state Sen. Brian Kavanagh. Supporters included Assemblymember Grace Lee, who co-chairs the Assembly's Asian Pacific American Task Force.聽

Lee, D-Manhattan, said in a statement released after Hochul's bill signing ceremony that Asian Americans "have gone unseen and unheard in New York for too long." The bill, she added, is "recognition for our contributions to New York history, and validation that our voices and our stories matter."聽

Before the Lunar New Year became a statewide holiday, it was recognized as a public school holiday in New York City.聽

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, who is the first Asian American elected to Congress from New York, led the effort for a citywide school holiday when she was in the state Assembly. She has also to make the Lunar New Year a federal holiday.聽

After Hochul signed the state-level bill, the Lunar New Year was added as one of the public school holidays. However, the holiday fell on a Saturday in 2024. When it occurs on a weekend day, it won't be observed with a day off for New York schools.聽

Raising awareness

Asian American leaders hope the Lunar New Year public school holiday will raise awareness about their community's contributions to the state, especially after anti-Asian violence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.聽

Han told 人兽性交 that she thinks community and school leaders "recognize the need to incorporate more Asian American history in classes" and to have conversations about different cultures and traditions.聽

"It does increase understanding that Asian Americans are as American as anyone else," she said.聽

When Hochul signed the legislation in 2023, Lee said the law "will expose new generations to Asian culture, and it will promote diversity and inclusion at a time when Asian New Yorkers are suffering from anti-Asian hate."聽

"By making New York the first state in the country to mandate statewide school closures in observance of Lunar New Year, we are setting a valuable example for other states to follow," Lee said.聽

Schools have used the upcoming holiday to educate students about Asian culture and the Lunar New Year.聽

In Auburn, sixth-graders at Genesee Elementary School participated in a virtual field trip with the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. According to a post on the district's Facebook page, students learned about the Lunar New Year and its importance.聽

The learning experience is one example of why supporters pushed for the holiday.聽

"It does send the message that our communities matter and it does prompt the question, 'What does this mean? Why is this holiday included in the school calendar?'" Han said. "It gives an opportunity for school leaders, for communities, for students to learn about these different traditions and cultures that celebrate Lunar New Year."聽