South Queens, NY - From City Hall to the streets of Queens to the Hindu temples, New Yorkers are celebrating Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar’s historic victory passing A7769/S7574, establishing Diwali as a New York City school holiday. Today, the Assemblywoman hosted a victory celebration at Diversity Plaza with Assemblymembers Jessica González-Rojas, Steven Raga, David Weprin, and Catalina Cruz; Councilmembers Sandra Ung and Shekar Krishnan; and a coalition of community leaders who fought alongside the Assemblywoman in her fight for the holiday.

The first Indian American woman and first Hindu-American elected to New York State Office, Assemblywoman Rajkumar won the Diwali school holiday in just one legislative session, achieving the decades-long dream of the South Asian community. She defied all odds and dismissed naysayers calling it impossible. Backed by Mayor Eric Adams, Assemblywoman Rajkumar pledged in October 2022 to make Diwali a school holiday. She spent months forging a broad, diverse coalition of stakeholders from across the State. The Assemblywoman secured the support of all her Albany colleagues and passed the Diwali school holiday bill unanimously in June, in one of the state legislature’s most historic moments.

Now, Diwali is forever enshrined in law as a school holiday in the nation’s largest school system, which has already incorporated the holiday into the next three school year calendars. This will set an example for districts nationwide.

New Yorkers of every faith and background have celebrated Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s historic victory, beginning with a celebration at City Hall with Mayor Adams. She also hosted a celebration that toured multiple Hindu temples in Queens. At today’s celebration, speakers hailed Assemblywoman Rajkumar for making the holiday possible, and expressed their elation that New York City would now give due recognition to over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist New Yorkers who celebrate Diwali.

Assemblywoman Rajkumar said, “Nothing can stop a community whose time has come. This year, our State came together with one voice to support my Diwali School Holiday Bill. With the passage of my historic bill, the State is saying to the South Asian community, ‘We see you. We hear you. We recognize you.’ People said the dream of the Diwali School Holiday was impossible, but we made this dream a reality. To everyone who believed in the power of the possible—whether in the legislature, the streets of Queens, or all around the world, this victory is yours.”

Since she passed her bill, New York’s leaders have effusively praised Assemblywoman Rajkumar for her unflinching tenacity in passing her bill.

Mayor Eric Adams said, “I'm just really proud of Assemblywoman Rajkumar. I have a whole chapter in my book dedicated to you in this pursuit of this holiday. The hours it took, seeing the vision, placing her community on her back and making sure she sits down at the table of power in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the country. She brought the issues and concerns of her community there, and she’s just a real leader, coming in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm, of being the first. There's so much that's on your shoulders, and she lived up to it every day, more than just this holiday pursuit, but just making sure that those Indian Americans will have their voices heard.”

Assemblyman Ed Braunstein said, “I would like to commend, congratulate and thank the sponsor [Assemblywoman Rajkumar] for all her hard work on getting this passed. This was an uphill climb from the beginning, but through sheer force of will you’ve brought us to this moment.”

Schools Chancellor David Banks said, “Thank you, Assemblymember. What a marvelous, marvelous day. First of all, Assemblymember, I want to thank you, personally. Your persistence, your focus, your dedication is unmatched, and you stayed in touch with us on a regular basis. And I just want to say thank you because you, together with this entire community, made today happen.”

Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, said, “I want to congratulate the sponsor [Assemblywoman Rajkumar]. She worked so hard, she hustled, and she got this through. So, congratulations to you. Congratulations to all of us in making this a historic moment.”

Congresswoman Grace Meng said, “I just want to give a special shout out and show of gratitude to my good friend Assemblywoman Rajkumar, for all your tireless work to help make Diwali a school holiday in New York City…thank you for leading the fight. Thank you for being constantly persistent and never giving up.”

Assemblyman Steven Raga said, “I want to say thank you to our champion, our sponsor…Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, for making sure every day this was the fight on the Assembly floor that everybody knew that had to be taken on before the end of session. Every day we'd see Jenifer and it's like, ‘Hey, you're still on the bill?’ ‘Yeah, of course. What do you mean?’ Every time you see, ‘We're working, we're working, we're working.’ She's getting more co-sponsors, making sure the bill moves forward. This is the type of leadership that we saw first on front row this session and thank you so much, Jenifer, making sure we brought to the finish line. Thanks so much to the advocates again for the city, it's a great day. Thank you for everyone to be here. Happy to join in celebration and thanks again, it's a great day. Thank you, Assemblymember Rajkumar.”

Assemblywoman Grace Lee said, “I am so proud to have helped Assemblymember Rajkumar, push forward this bill to make Diwali a school holiday. So, what this bill passage shows is what we can do when we have a seat at the table. We can do great things for our community. We are seen, we are heard, and we are recognized, and I am so thrilled to know that hundreds of thousands of young children do not have to make a choice between their culture and their classes this coming school year. And I am so proud to also think about so many of the hundreds of thousands of children who are now going to have time to reflect on the holiday and learn about their classmates' culture.”

Assemblyman David Weprin said, “Thank you, Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, as we all pointed out for her tenaciousness, her not giving up her fighting. This fight goes back well over 20 years…but Jenifer finished it.”

Senator Joseph Addabbo, the bill’s Senate sponsor, said, “I am thankful for my colleagues in the Senate who supported the passage of my bill (S7475) designating Diwali a school holiday in New York City before the Senate legislative session ended. If approved by Governor Hochul, New York’s growing South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities will now have the same recognition and accommodation afforded to those that observe other holidays. I admire the significance of Diwali, to show how light can overpower darkness, good can overcome evil, a message celebrating positivity and encouragement. It was an honor to once again work side-by-side with my colleague and friend Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, whose compassion and dedication for her constituents and Diwali is the reason our city will witness this school holiday.”

Today’s celebration occurred at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights. This public plaza dedicated to Queens’ unparalleled diversity was an ideal location to celebrate the City’s embrace of a holiday celebrated by hundreds of thousands in our Gorgeous Mosaic.

Diwali is a celebration of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome obstacles. Originating in South Asia, it is one of the most sacred days of the year for over 600,000 Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist New Yorkers.