Happy Lunar New Year! 新年快乐 San Francisco public school students have the day off today, January 31, 2014 to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Did you know that SFUSD is unique in that it is one of a handful of school districts nationally to celebrate the holiday? And it is the only school district in a major city to do so. In Oakland, San Jose, Honolulu and New York, other cities with a large Asian-American population, students must go to school like any other day or be marked absent. This may change in the future, due to growing debate over the issue (See New York public schools.) Nonetheless, San Francisco has one of the largest populations of Asian-Americans of any major American cities (roughly 33%), so our district made it a school holiday all the way back in 1994.

I am very grateful for the rich cultural heritage my Asian-American friends and neighbors have given to our great city and wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

What are you doing to celebrate?

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