Congresswoman Grace Meng Reintroduces Bill to Establish Diwali as Federal Holiday Amid Rising Anti-Asian Hate Concerns
U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) has reintroduced legislation, the Diwali Day Act, aimed at making Diwali a federal holiday. This bill seeks to amend Section 6103(a) of Title 5 of the U.S. Code, which outlines federal public holidays, to include the Festival of Lights. Meng, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), emphasized that recognizing Diwali at the federal level would acknowledge the religious and cultural significance of a festival celebrated by millions of Americans, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. The legislation has garnered support from 19 congressional co-sponsors, including Indian American Representatives Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam, and Shri Thanedar. Meng highlighted the importance of this recognition, particularly in light of increasing concerns over incidents of religious and racial hostility targeting Hindu and South Asian communities across the United States. CAPAC cited recent incidents such as vandalism at ...
