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SALT LAKE CITY — The Lunar New Year is on the path to recognition at the Utah Legislature.
Rep. Karen Kwan, D-Murray, presented a resolution Tuesday to recognize the 2017 Lunar New Year and the Utahns who celebrate it.
The Chinese Calendar marks 2017 as the Year of the Rooster. The Vietnamese refer to the completion of the lunar cycle as Tet, and the cultural event is one of significance for Asian countries such as China, Korea and Mongolia.
Kwan's resolution would bring that celebration to Utah and recognize not only the holiday, but also the contributions of Asian-American efforts in the state.
Kwan, a freshman representative, became Utah's first Chinese-American lawmaker after the 2016 election. She introduced HJR5 as her first piece of legislation and took the opportunity to explain the significance of the Lunar New Year.
"We have about 45,000 Utahns here who represent communities who celebrate Lunar New Year," Kwan told the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee. "There’s 4,500 Asian-owned businesses here in Utah, with sales over $1 billion who employ more than 12,000 people."
The committee gave the resolution a favorable recommendation.
Kwan detailed the contributions that Asian-Americans currently make and their significance in more than 150 years of Utah history, including the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Point.
Kwan added that she is a descendent of one of those workers.
"We have nearly 20 different Asian organizations in the Salt Lake area alone, and most of them celebrate the new year with poetry events, entertainment, banquets and fundraising," said Jennifer Lu-Halden, secretary for the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce. "We put back what we’ve earned, what we can afford, to the community."
The celebration of the Lunar New Year will take place Saturday.
"We hope to get this resolution passed and the Lunar New Year recognized by Friday," Kwan said. Email: rmorgan@deseretnews.com
