PRINTER'S NO. 2988
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
405
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, T. DAVIS, MUSTELLO, ARMANINI, KINSEY,
PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, GUENST, SCHLOSSBERG, CONKLIN, SCHMITT,
VITALI, BRENNAN, COOK, M. BROWN, HOWARD, ROWE, DELLOSO,
PICKETT, MERSKI, MALAGARI, JAMES, CERRATO, SANCHEZ, HEFFLEY,
NEILSON, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ AND HADDOCK, APRIL 24, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 24, 2024
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of June 2024 as "Italian-American Heritage
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Italians, including Christopher Columbus and Amerigo
Vespucci, were among the first explorers to discover the
American continents and map their geography; and
WHEREAS, Italian-Americans have defended the liberty and
integrity of the United States since the Revolutionary War; and
WHEREAS, The phrase in the Declaration of Independence, "all
men are created equal," was paraphrased from the writings of
Italian immigrant and American patriot Filippo Mazzei; and
WHEREAS, Two of the original signers of the Declaration of
Independence, William Paca and Caesar Rodney, were believed to
have been of Italian descent; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the
United States between 1820 and 2004; and
WHEREAS, Today there are approximately 18 million Americans
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of Italian descent in the United States, making them the fourth-
largest ethnic group in this country; and
WHEREAS, The Italian-American community has strong roots in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia remains the second-largest
Italian-American community in this country; and
WHEREAS, The recent 2020 census, along with the 2021 American
Community Survey, reported that approximately 1.7 million
Pennsylvanians have Italian ancestry; and
WHEREAS, Italian-Americans have made and continue to make
important contributions to this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, On June 2 of each year, Italian-Americans, Italians
and individuals of Italian descent around the world celebrate
Festa della Repubblica, or Republic Day, Italy's National Day
that commemorates the 1946 referendum ending the monarchy in
Italy and establishing a republic; and
WHEREAS, The month of June also marks the anniversaries of
the founding of two notable Italian-American organizations, the
Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America on June 22 and the
Italian American Heritage Foundation on June 29; and
WHEREAS, These observances have previously led the Congress
of the United States and state and local governments to
commemorate Italian-American heritage by declaring "National
Italian-American Heritage Week," "National Italian-American
Day," "Italian Heritage Day," "Italian-American Day" and other
days in June; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of June 2024 as "Italian-American Heritage Month" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
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significant contributions that Italian-Americans have made to
this Commonwealth and the United States.
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