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7 Cosponsors:
8 Carl R. Albrecht
9 Patrice M. Arent
10 Joel K. Briscoe
11 Walt Brooks
12 Rebecca Chavez-Houck
13 Scott H. Chew
14 LaVar Christensen
15 Bruce R. Cutler
16 Brad M. Daw
17 Susan Duckworth
18 Rebecca P. Edwards
19 Francis D. Gibson
Stephen G. Handy
Lynn N. Hemingway
Sandra Hollins
Brian S. King
Karianne Lisonbee
A. Cory Maloy
Kelly B. Miles
Carol Spackman Moss
Jefferson Moss
Derrin R. Owens
Val K. Potter
Marie H. Poulson
Tim Quinn
Angela Romero
Douglas V. Sagers
Mike Schultz
Norman K Thurston
Raymond P. Ward
Christine F. Watkins
Elizabeth Weight
John R. Westwood
Mark A. Wheatley
Logan Wilde
Mike Winder
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21 LONG TITLE
22 General Description:
23 This resolution recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year holiday.
24 Highlighted Provisions:
25 This resolution:
26 ▸ highlights the many Utah residents and communities that celebrate the Lunar New
27 Year; and
28 ▸ recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year holiday.
29 Special Clauses:
30 None
31
32 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
33 WHEREAS, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated by millions around the world on
34 January 28, 2017, to welcome the year of the rooster;
35 WHEREAS, the Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in many Asian
36 and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian cultures;
37 WHEREAS, the 15-day holiday is a time to reunite with family, recognize traditions,
38 honor ancestors, celebrate the past year, and invite good luck and prosperity for the coming
39 year;
40 WHEREAS, Lunar New Year celebrations promote beloved traditions including:
41 cleaning homes to prepare for the new year, family meals, giving children red envelopes
42 containing money, visiting relatives, lion dances, and religious ceremonies;
43 WHEREAS, over 45,000 people across the state represent cultures that celebrate the
44 Lunar New Year;
45 WHEREAS, people who represent these cultures have made significant contributions to
46 Utah for over 150 years;
47 WHEREAS, in the middle of the nineteenth century, many Chinese laborers came to
48 Utah to work on the Transcontinental Railroad and represented over 80% of the workforce that
49 completed the railroad at Promontory Point, Utah;
50 WHEREAS, many of these workers stayed in Utah after the railroad was finished in
51 1869 to start businesses and raise families in the state;
52 WHEREAS, descendants of these workers live in and contribute to Utah to this day;
53 WHEREAS, thousands of southeast Asians came to Utah in the 1970s seeking asylum
54 and became important members of Utah's workforce and business owner community;
55 WHEREAS, many people from Asia have come to Utah to study at its institutions of
56 higher education and have remained in the state, providing valuable knowledge and skills to the
57 state;
58 WHEREAS, over 7,500 Utah students are enrolled in the Utah Chinese Dual Language
59 Immersion Program where, in addition to language instruction, they have the opportunity to
60 learn about Chinese art and culture;
61 WHEREAS, the more than 4,500 Asian-owned businesses in the state have sales of
62 over $1 billion and employ more than 12,000 people;
63 WHEREAS, Asian immigrants in Utah earn approximately $1.3 billion in income and
64 pay $311.8 million in taxes per year;
65 WHEREAS, Utah has a proud tradition of welcoming newcomers and recognizes that
66 they bring with them opportunities for greater diversity in Utah's communities and economy;
67 WHEREAS, Utah's Asian community has shared its many varieties of art, cuisine, and
68 music and has enriched the lives of all the state's residents; and
69 WHEREAS, Utahns of every race, color, creed, religion, and ethnicity will come
70 together to celebrate the Lunar New Year in many locations across the state on January 28,
71 2017:
72 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
73 recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year and expresses admiration for and appreciation of the
74 social, economic, and educational contributions of the people and cultures that celebrate the
75 holiday, enriching our community.