Who is Grace Meng, US lawmaker who wants Diwali to be declared national holiday?

Grace Meng, the Asian American lawmaker, introduced the Diwali Day Act bill Friday, to have it recognised as the 12th federal holiday in the United States.

American lawmaker Grace Meng Friday introduced a bill demanding that the festival of Diwali be declared a national holiday in the United States, in a bid to promote inclusivity in the world’s oldest democratic nation.

Representative Grace Meng, a Democrat from New York and vice ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. (Bloomberg)

The Asian-American lawmaker, while introducing the bill called ‘Diwali Day Act’ in the House of Representative, cited its significance for countless people belonging to multiple faiths (in Queens, New York, and the United States). “Diwali the festival of lights, symbolises good over evil, and is a time for celebration, reflection, prayer and family and friends gatherings,” she said, noting that a federal holiday for Diwali would give millions of families the time to celebrate it together as well as educate others about the history and significance of the festival.

Apart from Diwali, Meng has also been pushing for similar efforts for other festivals such as Lunar New Year and Eid. If the act is passed, it would make Diwali 12th federally recognised holiday in the United States.

Who is Congresswoman Grace Meng?

1)Grace is currently serving her sixth term in the US House of Representatives for New York’s Queens district. She is the first and only Asian American member of Congress from New York State.

2)The mother of two sons, Meng was born in Elmhurst, Queens, and raised in Elmhurst, Bayside in New York City. She attended the University of Michigan and also has a law degree from Yeshiva University's Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, as per the information available on her website.

3)The website also lists that she is New York's senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for funding the federal government's programs and activities. She also serves as the first vice-chair of the ‘Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’, which comprises Asian American and Pacific Islander members who advocate the interests of their communities.

4)Additionally, she is the vice-chair of the ‘LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus’, which advocates for the rights and interests of the homosexual community and co-chair of the Congressional task force against anti-semitism, which works to protect the Jewish community against hatred. She also passed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act into a law.

5)Before being elected to Congress, she served in the New York State Assembly. Prior to that she has also served as a public-interest lawyer.