California's governor signed a law on June 30, 2026. The law makes May 17 Bruce Lee Day, according to the office of Matt Haney, a state lawmaker. Bruce Lee, a martial arts star born in San Francisco, became the first Chinese American in California to have a day named after him. The date marks May 17, 1959, when an 18-year-old Lee returned to San Francisco after growing up in Hong Kong.

Lee was born in the U.S. in 1940, while his parents were touring with an opera, which gave him U.S. citizenship. His family soon returned to Hong Kong, where he grew up and became a child actor. He moved back to the U.S. in 1959 and found work on American television. But studios often limited him to stereotyped roles and paid him less than white actors. He returned to Hong Kong, soon became a huge star, and died in 1973 at age 32.

Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, who leads the Bruce Lee Foundation, said the day celebrates her father's important role as a bridge between cultures. Haney noted Asian Americans were often missing from or shown unfairly on screen. He said Lee changed that, helping generations see people like themselves treated with strength and dignity. The foundation and Asian American groups hope communities will celebrate the day every year in many ways.