A new bill may see May 17 become Bruce Lee Day in California, thanks to Assemblymember Matt Haney.
Assemblymember Haney is a Democrat from San Francisco — the city the martial arts movie star was born in — and he introduced bill AB 2455 to honor Chinese Americans and Lee’s enduring legacy. According to his team, this would mark the first Chinese American to be honored with their own official day in the state of California.
According to KTLA, the bill also encourages public schools in California to use the day as an opportunity to teach students about Lee’s “accomplishments and the contributions he made to the state.”
You might be wondering… why May 17? Simple. It’s the day Lee returned to San Francisco after spending his upbringing in Hong Kong.
Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee, who is the founder and CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation, revealed that the Lee family was touched by the gesture. “From young people who found confidence and possibility in his philosophy, to families who finally saw themselves represented on screen, to athletes who still draw on his teachings of discipline and inner strength, his reach is profound,” she said in a statement. “My father was a bridge between cultures through his courage, and his spirit of interracial solidarity remains as relevant as ever.”
Lee was a martial arts icon and legendary actor who helped push Chinese American representation in films to the forefront of Hollywood. He is perhaps best known for his work in films The Big Boss, Fists of Fury, Enter the Dragon, and the series The Green Hornet. He died in 1973 aged just 32, but his gifts to the world live on in his films and those he influenced, like the city of San Francisco.
No word yet on the bill’s passing as it was recently introduced, but something tells us it’s going to be a unanimous yes.
Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images.
Lex Briscuso is film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
