PRINTER'S NO. 2087
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
429
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, WILEY, TARTAGLIONE, BOSCOLA, GREENLEAF,
DINNIMAN, TEPLITZ, SCARNATI, SCAVELLO, SABATINA, KILLION,
SCHWANK, COSTA, FARNESE, MENSCH, VULAKOVICH, HUTCHINSON AND
WARD, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of October 2016 as "Italian-American
Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Explorer Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool
merchant, was born in Genoa, Italy, around 1451; and
WHEREAS, He was determined to find a quicker route west from
Europe to Asia and embarked on what would become four trips
across the Atlantic Ocean starting in 1492; and
WHEREAS, Christopher Columbus accidentally stumbled upon the
Americas during his voyage and his journeys resulted in
centuries of exploration on the American continent; and
WHEREAS, While Italians have always been a part of American
history, it was not until the 1820s that Italian immigrants
began moving to the United States in sizable numbers; and
WHEREAS, As Italian Americans began settling in major cities
across the United States, they often faced religious and ethnic
discrimination which occasionally led to brutal violence; and
WHEREAS, For this reason, Italian Americans started
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celebrating the life and accomplishments of Christopher Columbus
as a way for citizens of Italian descent to be accepted by the
mainstream; and
WHEREAS, In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed
Columbus Day as a national holiday; and
WHEREAS, Today we credit Christopher Columbus with Italian
immigration to the New World and what is now Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Currently, there are more than 17 million Americans
of Italian heritage in the United States, and more than 1.4
million Americans of Italian heritage reside in Pennsylvania;
and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County has the highest Italian-American
population in this Commonwealth, and is in the top 10 in the
country, with more than 194,000 people according to the 2000
United States Census; and
WHEREAS, Italian Americans have become one of this
Commonwealth's most influential ethnic groups, working
tirelessly to preserve their heritage; and
WHEREAS, Italian Americans have deep roots in religion,
politics, the arts, science, law and economic and social
institutions; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Order Sons of Italy in America is the
largest and oldest national organization for men and women of
Italian heritage in the United States, with many chapters
located in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, This year, a new national historical library opened
up in downtown Pittsburgh where visitors can look at shelves
filled with more than 200 books and DVDs about Italian
Americans; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of October 2016
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as "Italian-American Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania and commend
the early immigrants for their important role in our
Commonwealth's history.
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