California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on July 1, 2026, designating May 17 as Bruce Lee Day. This action makes Bruce Lee the first Chinese American in California's history to have an annual namesake day.

The inaugural Bruce Lee Day in California will be observed on May 17, 2027. Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco in 1940 and returned to the city on May 17, 1959, at the age of 18.

Lee spent his childhood in Hong Kong. He was born to Chinese parents who were touring with an opera and held U.S. birthright citizenship. He became a child actor in Hong Kong and began learning Chinese kung fu there. In 1961, Lee enrolled in the University of Washington in Seattle before dropping out. Following his departure from the university, he practiced and taught martial arts. Lee worked in Hollywood during the 1960s, playing the character Kato in the television series "The Green Hornet." He later returned to Hong Kong to pursue film roles, starring in martial arts films such as "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury." He died in 1973 at the age of 32 due to an allergic reaction to pain medication. A treatment for a proposed television action series written by Lee later inspired the HBO Max show "Warrior."

California State Assemblymember Matt Haney, who represents San Francisco, commented on the designation. "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," Haney said.

Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee's daughter and CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation, also addressed the impact of her father. "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.