PRINTER'S NO. 2624
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
538
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, MALAGARI, CALTAGIRONE, DiGIROLAMO, KORTZ,
BURNS, DONATUCCI, SAINATO, SCHLOSSBERG, HOHENSTEIN, SCHMITT,
BIZZARRO, MILLARD, ISAACSON, PICKETT, LONGIETTI, MACKENZIE,
KINSEY, BURGOS, RYAN, YOUNGBLOOD, HILL-EVANS, HELM, VITALI,
BERNSTINE, SONNEY, ROEBUCK, STRUZZI, SCHLEGEL CULVER, KIM,
A. DAVIS, READSHAW, MURT, DeLUCA, HOWARD, HEFFLEY, CIRESI AND
JOHNSON-HARRELL, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of October 2019 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 first 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
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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 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, 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, Today, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Sons and
Daughters of Italy is the largest organization in this
Commonwealth for men and women of Italian heritage, with many
lodges located in almost every county in this Commonwealth;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of October 2019 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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