Letters to the Editor: A 13-year-old makes the case for Diwali as an official California holiday

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To the editor : As a 13-year-old student in New York City, I want to share what it meant to me when my school closed for Diwali for the first time in 2024 ( “California may add new state holiday. What is Diwali and who celebrates it?,” Sept. 15).

Before then, I didn’t really get the chance to learn about or celebrate Diwali at school because it wasn’t official. I was born here in the U.S. and so were my parents. But without recognition, it sometimes felt like my part of American culture didn’t count the same way others’ did.

When my school finally recognized Diwali, I felt proud. Since then, I’ve become an advocate for celebrating everyone’s culture. I believe all Americans sh