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JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE LUNAR NEW

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YEAR

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2017 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Karen Kwan

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Senate Sponsor: Jani Iwamoto

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8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10           This resolution recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year holiday.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This resolution:
13          ▸      highlights the many Utah residents and communities that celebrate the Lunar New
14     Year; and
15          ▸     recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year holiday.
16     Special Clauses:
17          None
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19     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
20          WHEREAS, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated by millions around the world on
21     January 28, 2017, to welcome the year of the rooster;
22          WHEREAS, the Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in many Asian
23     and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian cultures;
24          WHEREAS, the 15-day holiday is a time to reunite with family, recognize traditions,
25     honor ancestors, celebrate the past year, and invite good luck and prosperity for the coming
26     year;
27          WHEREAS, Lunar New Year celebrations promote beloved traditions including:

28     cleaning homes to prepare for the new year, family meals, giving children red envelopes
29     containing money, visiting relatives, lion dances, and religious ceremonies;
30          WHEREAS, over 45,000 people across the state represent cultures that celebrate the
31     Lunar New Year;
32          WHEREAS, people who represent these cultures have made significant contributions to
33     Utah for over 150 years;
34          WHEREAS, in the middle of the nineteenth century, many Chinese laborers came to
35     Utah to work on the Transcontinental Railroad and represented over 80% of the workforce that
36     completed the railroad at Promontory Point, Utah;
37          WHEREAS, many of these workers stayed in Utah after the railroad was finished in
38     1869 to start businesses and raise families in the state;
39          WHEREAS, descendants of these workers live in and contribute to Utah to this day;
40          WHEREAS, thousands of southeast Asians came to Utah in the 1970s seeking asylum
41     and became important members of Utah's workforce and business owner community;
42          WHEREAS, many people from Asia have come to Utah to study at its institutions of
43     higher education and have remained in the state, providing valuable knowledge and skills to the
44     state;
45          WHEREAS, over 7,500 Utah students are enrolled in the Utah Chinese Dual Language
46     Immersion Program where, in addition to language instruction, they have the opportunity to
47     learn about Chinese art and culture;
48          WHEREAS, the more than 4,500 Asian-owned businesses in the state have sales of
49     over $1 billion and employ more than 12,000 people;
50          WHEREAS, Asian immigrants in Utah earn approximately $1.3 billion in income and
51     pay $311.8 million in taxes per year;
52          WHEREAS, Utah has a proud tradition of welcoming newcomers and recognizes that
53     they bring with them opportunities for greater diversity in Utah's communities and economy;
54          WHEREAS, Utah's Asian community has shared its many varieties of art, cuisine, and
55     music and has enriched the lives of all the state's residents; and
56          WHEREAS, Utahns of every race, color, creed, religion, and ethnicity will come
57     together to celebrate the Lunar New Year in many locations across the state on January 28,
58     2017:

59          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
60     recognizes the 2017 Lunar New Year and expresses admiration for and appreciation of the
61     social, economic, and educational contributions of the people and cultures that celebrate the
62     holiday, enriching our community.






Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel