California institutes Bruce Lee Day, first for Chinese-American in state history

California has officially established Bruce Lee Day to honor the martial arts icon and film star. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law on Tuesday afternoon, officially designating May 17 as Bruce Lee Day, according to the office of state Assembly member Matt Haney, who represents San Francisco.

The date was chosen because on May 17, 1959, an 18-year-old Lee returned to San Francisco after spending his childhood in Hong Kong. Lee's daughter, Shannon, CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation, said the honor is a testament to her father's enduring legacy as a bridge between cultures. She highlighted how his philosophy and achievements have inspired young people, families who finally saw themselves represented on screen, and athletes who still draw on his teachings of discipline and inner strength.

Haney called Lee the epitome of the best of California, noting that at a time when Asian Americans were too often absent from or stereotyped on screen, Bruce Lee helped generations see themselves represented with strength and dignity. The foundation and various Asian American organizations hope that Lee will be celebrated annually with voluntary commemorative activities across the state, including cultural exhibits, public events, and classroom lessons.

Born in 1940 in San Francisco to Chinese parents who were touring with an opera, Lee was granted birthright citizenship. A few months later, the family returned to Hong Kong, where Lee became a child actor and began learning Chinese kung fu. He moved back to the US in 1959 and enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle two years later. He dropped out to focus on practicing and teaching martial arts. In the 1960s, Lee found work in Hollywood, most notably as Kato in the TV series “The Green Hornet,” but studios wanted him to play racist stereotypes and paid him less than his white counterparts. He returned to Hong Kong and became a megastar of martial arts films, including “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury.” Lee died in 1973 at age 32 from an allergic reaction to pain medication. His name and likeness remain popular; a treatment for a TV action series he wrote inspired the HBO Max show “Warrior.”