THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, COSTA, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, BAKER, BLAKE, BOSCOLA, BREWSTER, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, CORMAN, DINNIMAN, EARLL, EICHELBERGER, ERICKSON, FARNESE, FERLO, FOLMER, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LEACH, McILHINNEY, MENSCH, PICCOLA, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, SCARNATI, SCHWANK, SMUCKER, SOLOBAY, STACK, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, VANCE, VOGEL, VULAKOVICH, WARD, WASHINGTON, WAUGH, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, WILLIAMS, WOZNIAK, YAW AND YUDICHAK, OCTOBER 15, 2012

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 15, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of October 2012 as "Italian-American

Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Explorer Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa,

Italy, around 1451 and was a son of a wool merchant; and

WHEREAS, He was determined to find a quicker route west from

Europe to Asia and embarked on four trips across the Atlantic

Ocean starting in 1492; and

WHEREAS, Christopher Columbus' voyages led to widespread

European awareness of the American continents in the Western

Hemisphere; and

WHEREAS, This awareness opened the way for European

exploration and colonization of the Americas; and

WHEREAS, Today, we accredit Christopher Columbus with Italian

immigration to the New World; and

WHEREAS, Currently, there are more than 26 million Americans

of Italian heritage in the United States, and more than 1.5

million Americans of Italian heritage reside in Pennsylvania;

and

WHEREAS, During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many

Italian immigrants settled in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

regions, but they faced hardships, such as low pay and hazardous

working conditions throughout this Commonwealth, which prompted

them to support labor union movements; and

WHEREAS, Despite instances of discrimination and

exploitation, Italian Americans did not surrender their values

or culture; and

WHEREAS, Italian Americans developed religious, political,

economic and social institutions to preserve their heritage and

to support themselves in adjusting to life in their new country;

and

WHEREAS, Today, the Order of Italy in America is the largest

and oldest national organization for men and women of Italian

heritage in the United States, and many of its chapters are

located in Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Italian Americans have made remarkable contributions

to our society in the arts, law, science, government, commerce,

manufacturing and finance; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of October 2012

as "Italian-American Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania.