This afternoon, Friends Select’s Asian Student Union sent a letter to the administration requesting modifications to the workload this Lunar New Year on February 1st. In addition, they requested the cancellation of school during Lunar New Year for future years. The letter explained the cultural importance of this celebration and how accommodating this request would show support to the Asian community.

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Dear Friends Select Administration,

Asian Student Union is writing this open letter to request from the Friends Select administration the following:

• For the 2021-2022 school year, give students a “no homework” and “no test” day on Lunar New Year: February 1, 2022.
• For future years, give students, faculty, and staff a day off for Lunar New Year along with no homework or tests the following day.

Lunar New Year is a very important time in which many Asian communities gather with family and friends to celebrate the turn of the year and honor their ancestors. It is marked by the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Because of this, Lunar New Year can fall between January 21st and February 20th. Families that celebrate the holiday will often spend the day cooking, feasting, and visiting family burial plots. Additionally, many Asian communities hold festivals and neighborhood celebrations.

Taking a day off for Lunar New Year is an important step in showing support towards Asian students, families, and staff in the FSS community, and it will help foster a more welcoming environment for our international students. In the past, students have needed to spend the day meeting with family, which did not leave enough time or energy to do homework. Families and staff have also struggled to observe the holiday while balancing work and their children’s school commitments. Having the day off will let students, families, and staff celebrate Lunar New Year without needing to choose between their culture and their education.

We are proud to be a part of an institution that supports, encourages, and welcomes all students to express and explore their identities. Friends Select has shown its dedication to diversity, education, and support by changing curricula, dedicating itself to hiring more teachers of color, and lifting the Jewish and Muslim communities by allowing a day off for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Eid. We are asking Friends Select to extend this gesture to and show support for the Asian community.

We look forward to speaking with you.

If you have any questions and would like to meet in person, we can certainly arrange a time. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

The Asian Student Union (with the support of Chinese Culture Club, the Mandarin program, Jewish Student Union, Black Student Union, White Anti-Racist Group, Student Government, Quake, Sistah’s Chat, Qlub, and Gender Equity Club)