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THE WHITE HOUSE President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris host a Diwali celebration at the White House. |
Vice President Harris recalled how her family celebrated Diwali as they were growing up in California. She said the holiday represents hope to her. “Diwali reminds us to see the light in our world, in each other and in ourselves.”
Celebrated across South Asia by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, the multi-day festival is gaining in popularity in the United states as the Festival of Light s gaining in popularity in the United States and observed by Americans of all ethnicities.
The celebration of Diwali by the President and Vice President along with 200 White House staff and South Asian celebrities and leaders is another step of America being America, a nation of immigrants. President Obama was the first President to observe the festival in 2016 at the White House.
The South Asian festival will also become a new holiday for New York City public schools starting in 2023. New York State Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar announced the news last week that New York City will be making Diwali a holiday for city schools.
In Rajkuma's Instagram video, whe says, “Today, I am proud to say the time has come. The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights.”
The caption of her video read, “In a historic move, the New York City Mayor announced on Thursday that Diwali would be a public school holiday from next year. The Big Apple city is home to nearly two lakh South Asians and, for years, scores of them have been demanding Diwali to be declared a school holiday.”
The caption of her video read, “In a historic move, the New York City Mayor announced on Thursday that Diwali would be a public school holiday from next year. The Big Apple city is home to nearly two lakh South Asians and, for years, scores of them have been demanding Diwali to be declared a school holiday.”
Upon viewing the video, Indian American actress Priyanka Chopra reposted Rajkumar's video in which Chopra wrote on her own Instagram account, “After all these years! My teenage self living in Queens is crying tears of joy. #representationmatters.”
Chopra spent part of her teenage years in NYC before moving back to India after experiencing bullying in her Queens high school.
The dates of Diwali fluctuate, and this year, the 5-day festival started on Monday, October 24.
Rajkumar, who sponsored the bill making the Indian celebration part of New York City's holiday schedule, represents the 38th District in Queens and also chairs the sub-committee on diversity in law. New York City.
According to New York State education laws, 180 days of school education are required in a year. However, in order to meet this criteria, no more school holidays could be declared.
Hence, Rajkumar brought forth the legislation for Diwali to replace 'Anniversary Day' as a public school holiday, calling the latter "an obscure and antiquated day" compared to the festival of lights.
Chopra spent part of her teenage years in NYC before moving back to India after experiencing bullying in her Queens high school.
The dates of Diwali fluctuate, and this year, the 5-day festival started on Monday, October 24.
Rajkumar, who sponsored the bill making the Indian celebration part of New York City's holiday schedule, represents the 38th District in Queens and also chairs the sub-committee on diversity in law. New York City.
According to New York State education laws, 180 days of school education are required in a year. However, in order to meet this criteria, no more school holidays could be declared.
Hence, Rajkumar brought forth the legislation for Diwali to replace 'Anniversary Day' as a public school holiday, calling the latter "an obscure and antiquated day" compared to the festival of lights.
Over the weekend South Indian markets and stores in Queens and California's Silicon Valley were packed with customers buying sweets and gifts for their family celebrations. In the weeks leading up Monday, South Asians observed Diwali with outdoor celebrations. Celebrations are slated into November.
Diwali is good for business too as US merchants learn more about the celebration. With the food, greeting cards and gifts, the festival is attracting merchants who are discovering consumers who are a marketer's dream. The Indian American household income of $119,000 is the highest among all American ethnic groups, surpassing even White Americans.
South Asian celebrities, business leaders and influencers gathered in New York Oct. 23 in Manhattan adding fashion glitz and glamor to the holiday party hosted by Paramount Pictures and Vogue Magazine. Some of the guests to the formal event, included Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, fashion designer Prabal Gurung, Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones, actors Sarita Choudhury and Kal Penn.
Many of the New York City celebrities were guests at the White House celebration two days later to join Biden and Harris.
"As we celebrate this gathering of light, we know—as this community has experienced too often—that there is always darkness lurking," Biden said in a statement.
"American history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that that we have never fully lived up to it. By marking the victory of light over darkness, Diwali is a reminder that each of us has the power to bring light to the world, whether here in America or around the world."
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.
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