PRINTER'S NO. 1191
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
205
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, DiSANTO, MARTIN, DINNIMAN, GREENLEAF,
SCARNATI, FARNESE, RAFFERTY, SABATINA, HUGHES, YUDICHAK AND
WHITE, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of October 2017 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, Christopher Columbus 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 journey resulted in
centuries of exploration on the American continent; and
WHEREAS, When Christopher Columbus landed in the New World,
he believed that he had reached the Indies and thought the
people he met were Indians; and
WHEREAS, Thus, more than 500 years later, the native people
of the Americas are still often referred to as "Indian"; and
WHEREAS, While Italians have always been a part of American
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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
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, 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, More impressive, Allegheny County has the highest
Italian-American population in the State and is in the top 10 in
the country, with more than 194,000 people, according to United
States Census figures from 2000; and
WHEREAS, The Italian-Americans have become one of this
Commonwealth's most influential ethnic groups with deep roots in
religion, politics, the arts, science, law and economic and
social institutions to preserve their heritage; and
WHEREAS, While the first Italians to settle in Pittsburgh may
have faced discrimination, Italian cuisine was embraced
enthusiastically; and
WHEREAS, A Pittsburgh staple, a Primanti Brothers' sandwich,
which is a concoction of meats, cole slaw and french fries
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stacked between two slices of Mancini's bread, was invented by
Italian descendants; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of October 2017
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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