Bill Text: CA ACR2 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Persian New Year.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 56-30-1)

Status: (Passed) 2015-04-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 29, Statutes of 2015. [ACR2 Detail]

Download: California-2015-ACR2-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 2	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 16, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  FEBRUARY 24, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nazarian
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Calderon, Chávez, Dodd,
Cristina Garcia, Lackey, McCarty, Rodriguez, Santiago, Steinorth,
 and Mark Stone   Mark Stone,  
Achadjian,   Alejo,   Travis Allen,  
Atkins,   Bigelow,   Bloom,   Bonta, 
 Brough,   Brown,   Burke,   Campos,
  Chang,   Chau,   Chiu,   Chu,
  Cooley,   Cooper,   Dababneh,  
Dahle,   Daly,   Eggman,   Frazier, 
 Beth Gaines,   Gallagher,   Eduardo Garcia,
  Gatto,   Gipson,  Gomez,  
Gonzalez,   Gordon,   Gray,   Grove, 
 Hadley,   Harper,   Holden,   Irwin,
  Jones,   Kim,   Levine,  
Linder,   Lopez,   Low,   Maienschein,
  Mathis,   Mayes,   Medina,  
Melendez,   Mullin,   Obernolte,   O'
Donnell,   Olsen,  Patterson,   Perea,
  Quirk,   Rendon,   Ridley-Thomas, 
 Salas,   Thurmond,   Ting,   Wagner,
  Waldron,   Weber,   Wilk,  
Williams,   and Wood  )
   (Coauthors: Senators Allen, Block, Hall, Hertzberg, Leno, Nielsen,
Stone, Vidak, and Wieckowski)

                        DECEMBER 1, 2014

   Relative to the Persian New Year.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 2, as amended, Nazarian. Persian New Year.
   This measure would recognize the Persian New Year celebration.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, Nowr?z, meaning the "New Day" is the name of the New Year
in the Persian calendar; and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z marks the first day of spring and the beginning of
the year in the Persian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the
astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 20 or
the following day depending on where it is observed; and
   WHEREAS, In Persian mythology, King Jamshid is credited with the
founding of Nowr?z, while others suggest that it was founded by
Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of its origin.
Celebrating the Vernal equinox may also have been an old Babylonian
tradition known before 2340 B.C.; and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z is celebrated and observed principally in Iran and
has spread to other parts of the world, including parts of Central
Asia, the Caucasus, Northwestern China, the Crimea, and some groups
in the Balkans. In Iran, Nowr?z is an official holiday lasting for 13
days during which most national functions, including schools, are
off and festivities take place. Also the Canadian Parliament, by
unanimous consent, passed a bill on March 30, 2009, to add Nowr?z to
the national calendar of Canada; and
   WHEREAS, The most important activity in the celebration of Nowr?z
is setting the "haft-seen table" which literally means a table of
seven items that start with the letter "s." The table often includes
items such as sumac (crushed spice of berries), senjed (sweet dry
fruit of a lotus tree), serkeh (vinegar), and seeb (apples); and
   WHEREAS, Nowr?z invites us to contemplate nature's power of
renewal and rejuvenation, to look more deeply, not just into the
green world outside, but at our human nature as well; and
   WHEREAS, For the people celebrating Nowr?z, it is a time to
appreciate their rich heritage and to move forward with hope for a
prosperous new year ahead filled with health, wealth, love, joy, and
success; and
   WHEREAS, According to figures from the 2000 United States Census,
over one-half of all Iranian immigrants in the United States lived in
the State of California. In 2000, that figure was 55.9 percent or
158,613 residents. The states with the next largest Iranian immigrant
populations were New York, with 17,323 residents or 6.1 percent of
the population, Texas, with 15,581 residents or 5.5 percent of the
population, Virginia, with 10,889 residents or 3.8 percent of the
population, and Maryland, with 9,733 residents or 3.4 percent of the
population; and
   WHEREAS, According to the 2000 United States Census, the largest
community of Iranian descent in the United States resides in
California, concentrated in the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills area.
The number of people of Iranian descent in this area is greater than
the Iranian populations in the next 20 states combined; and
   WHEREAS, The Iranian population in California has grown to over
200,000 residents according to the 2010 United States Census.
However, Iranian organizations and the Iranian Community believes the
correct number may be four times that amount; and
   WHEREAS, The Small Business Administration conducted a study in
2008 that found that Iranian immigrants were among the top 20
immigrant groups with the highest rate of business ownership,
contributing substantially to the national economy; and
   WHEREAS, Iranian Americans have founded and served in senior
leadership positions of many major American companies; and
   WHEREAS, The Los Angeles City Council designated the intersection
of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue in West Los Angeles as
"Persian Square." The first Persian business in the city opened in
1974 on the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue. Since
then there has been an increase of Persian businesses and residents
in the area. Many of the businesses on Westwood Boulevard, between
Wilshire Boulevard and Ohio Avenue, are owned and operated by people
of Persian cultural identity; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature joins the Persian and other
communities throughout the state in celebrating March 21, 2015, as
the beginning of the Persian New Year and extends best wishes for a
peaceful and prosperous Nowr?z to all Californians; and be it further

   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.