# May 17 could become ‘Bruce Lee Day’ in California
by: Iman Palm
Posted: Feb 25, 2026 / 10:27 AM PST
Updated: Feb 25, 2026 / 11:27 AM PST
A proposed California bill would honor Chinese Americans by establishing May 17 as “Bruce Lee Day.”
AB 2455, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D–San Francisco), would recognize the martial arts icon’s enduring influence on film, culture and the Chinese American community.
If approved, Lee would become the first Chinese American honored with a commemorative day in California law, according to Haney’s office.
The bill would also encourage all public schools and educational institutions to conduct exercises remembering the life of Bruce Lee and recognizing his accomplishments and the contributions he made to the state.”
May 17 marks the day Lee returned to San Francisco at age 18.
Shannon Lee, founder and CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation and Bruce Lee’s daughter, said in the statement that the family was honored by Assemblymember Haney’s bill.
“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. My father was a bridge between cultures through his courage, and his spirit of interracial solidarity remains as relevant as ever.”
Lee, born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, became one of the most influential martial artists and actors of the 20th century. He began acting as a child in the 1940s, started studying kung fu at 13 and returned to the United States in 1959, later studying philosophy at the University of Washington.
Throughout his career, Lee pushed back against Hollywood’s racist portrayals of Asian men, who were often depicted as servants, unskilled workers, or evil geniuses in Hollywood.
His films, including “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury” and “Enter the Dragon,” released six days after his death, helped redefine Asian representation on screen and sparked a global kung fu phenomenon.
Lee died in 1973 at age 32 from an allergic reaction to pain medication.