PRINTER'S NO. 3218
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 461
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, T. DAVIS, ARMANINI, MUSTELLO, KINSEY,
NEILSON, CONKLIN, SANCHEZ, RABB, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, FREEMAN,
PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, HOWARD, KHAN, GUENST, SCHMITT,
SCHLOSSBERG, CERRATO, PROBST, VITALI, GIRAL, COOK, KIM,
GALLAGHER, DELLOSO, ROZZI AND HADDOCK, JUNE 3, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND ECONOMIC AND RECREATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT, JUNE 3, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of June 2024 as "Italian-American Heritage
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Italians were among the first explorers to discover
4 the American continents and map their geography; and
5 WHEREAS, The term "America" is derived from the name of
6 Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci; and
7 WHEREAS, Italian-Americans have defended the liberty and
8 integrity of the United States since the Revolutionary War; and
9 WHEREAS, The phrase in the Declaration of Independence, "all
10 men are created equal," was paraphrased from the writings of
11 Italian immigrant and American patriot Filippo Mazzei; and
12 WHEREAS, An estimated 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the
13 United States between 1820 and 2004; and
14 WHEREAS, Today there are approximately 18 million Americans
15 of Italian descent in the United States, making them the fourth-
16 largest ethnic group in this country; and
 1 WHEREAS, The Italian-American community has strong roots in
2 Pennsylvania; and
3 WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia remains the second-largest
4 Italian-American community in this country; and
5 WHEREAS, The recent 2020 census, along with the 2021 American
6 Community Survey, reported that approximately 1.7 million
7 Pennsylvanians have Italian ancestry; and
8 WHEREAS, Italian-Americans have made and continue to make
9 important contributions to this Commonwealth; and
10 WHEREAS, On June 2 of each year, Italian-Americans, Italians
11 and individuals of Italian descent around the world celebrate
12 Festa della Repubblica, or Republic Day, Italy's National Day
13 that commemorates the 1946 referendum ending the monarchy in
14 Italy and establishing a republic; and
15 WHEREAS, The month of June also marks the anniversaries of
16 the founding of two notable Italian-American organizations, the
17 Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America on June 22 and the
18 Italian American Heritage Foundation on June 29; and
19 WHEREAS, These observances have previously led the Congress
20 of the United States and state and local governments to
21 commemorate Italian-American heritage by declaring "National
22 Italian-American Heritage Week," "National Italian-American
23 Day," "Italian Heritage Day," "Italian-American Day" and other
24 days in June; therefore be it
25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
26 month of June 2024 as "Italian-American Heritage Month" in
27 Pennsylvania; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
29 significant contributions that Italian-Americans have made to
30 this Commonwealth and the United States.
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