Earlier these days, Governor Kathy Hochul signed regulation that makes Diwali a faculty vacation for New York City public colleges. Legislation S.7574/A.7769 calls for that every one public colleges in New York City be closed at the 15th day of the 8th month of the Indian calendar in every 12 months, which is referred to as Diwali.
VIDEO of the development is to be had on YouTube here and in TV high quality (h.264, mp4) layout here.
AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is to be had here.
PHOTOS of the development are to be had at the Governor’s Flickr page.
A hurry transcript of the Governor’s remarks is to be had under:
Good night time, everybody. What a glorious night time that is. I’ve been so having a look ahead to this. We could not have picked a extra becoming time to be in combination. Diwali used to be simply a couple of days in the past, a glorious instance the place New York’s Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities rejoice the religious victory of sunshine over darkness, excellent over evil, and data over lack of know-how.
And most significantly, we celebrated time along with our households and group. And that final phase is particularly vital to me. Because New York, roughly fast-paced every now and then, and this instance lets in us to decelerate and to understand all now we have been given in existence and to benefit from the corporate of the ones we do not see year-round.
But additionally create recollections and traditions for kids. To be certain that they cross them directly to their households as neatly, to the following era, and stay up for a nice long run in combination. But, for goodbye, many South Asian New Yorkers have needed to rejoice their maximum vital vacations aside, or overdue at evening, as a result of folks paintings and youngsters are in class. I do know that is been tricky. This is a very powerful, significant vacation, Diwali, and it must be a possibility for congregation in combination now not isolation. And the birthday party of sunshine must now not be honored at midnight. And so we’re right here to day for one easy reason why, to mention “no more.” It’s an immense honor for me to signal a ancient invoice into regulation mentioning Diwali a public faculty vacation in New York City.
And I’m proud to be surrounded by means of such a lot of incredible group leaders and elected other people and activists who’ve been combating for this for such a very long time. I need to recognize our state senator, Joe Addabbo, let’s give him a around of applause for his efforts to make this occur. Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, the primary South Asian girl ever elected to place of work in New York State – two nice leaders. And then Dr. Uma, the President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, Dr. Uma. And I’ll provide a proclamation to honor for remarkable paintings, for 40 years of provider because the President of the Hindu Temple Society. What an odd accomplishment.
Two years in the past we collected to announce and to claim Diwali Day right here in New York. I used to be right here as a brand-new governor. I had a likelihood to fulfill lots of you. And now New York City public faculty scholars can have the break day from faculty to rejoice with their households, and that is the reason a excellent reason why to be excited.
But what I’m pleased with is also the message we are sending each and every kid. I signed this regulation with a transparent imaginative and prescient in thoughts. A imaginative and prescient of kids feeling empowered to percentage their heritage at the playground with others and ask curious questions on other households and their traditions and all of a unexpected perceive every different much more and increase appreciation for different cultures and customs.
In a state the place range is our power, and we rejoice it always, we continuously try to push ourselves to grasp every different extra. This vacation will permit us to do this. This break day faculty will permit us to do this and display the humility and tolerance towards every different with different views other from our personal.
That’s how we commence construction the New York State that all of us will also be so pleased with. It’s best conceivable when our kids develop up seeing other people from different cultures and religions and ideology and rejoice that and find out how to not concern variations, however to honor them and to recognize them. That’s what we want in New York these days.
And that is a very powerful a part of that as we cherish our variations and it presentations our kids you do not have to be other and be on my own, you’ll be in combination. And I do imagine that if we price our various communities in the way in which we are saying, we’re going to proceed to rejoice this, and the South Asian group’s affect has been profound. It’s now not simply the fantastic eating places and organizations, it is the track we cross to and dance to, it is the motion pictures we watch, the small companies that populate our downtowns, and those stunning neighborhoods that breathe existence into our communities each and every unmarried day.
I go searching this room and I see the important function that such a lot of South Asians play in our state. Leaders in each and every unmarried box. Not simply elected leaders, however in drugs, docs and attorneys and academics and others who care so deeply about this group, whether or not they are first era, 2nd era, 3rd era, that is house. And I need to be certain that we keep in mind that that is so vital.
And it is the management that got here in combination and the advocacy and the sturdy voice in combination that led us to at the moment. I do know there is been some tricky moments on this group as neatly. There’s been a upward thrust in hate crimes in opposition to many, however specifically in opposition to the Asian and South Asian group. Since February of 2020, the start of the pandemic there was a 700 p.c building up in anti-Asian violence and harassment. I would like you to understand as a proud Governor of this state, I’m pleased with this group. I can proceed to struggle to offer protection to the protection of you and your kids each and every unmarried day as a result of we haven’t any tolerance for hate in our state.
Today, we confirm our imaginative and prescient for the long run, a brighter, extra enlightened, shared long run in combination. And I’m in reality proud to have this chance to talk to you this night, to honor the traditions and the tradition, honor Diwali, and make allowance households to rejoice in combination from this 12 months going ahead. So, congratulations to everybody concerned, I thanks for the privilege, but additionally at the moment let me convey up Senator Joe Addabbo and listen to his reflections in this vital, vital, ancient day. Thank you very a lot, everybody.