PRINTER'S NO. 2101
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
231
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, T. DAVIS, ARMANINI, MUSTELLO, BRENNAN,
McNEILL, KINSEY, HILL-EVANS, PROBST, BRIGGS, ROWE, DELLOSO,
PICKETT, PIELLI, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MERSKI, RABB, GUENST,
SANCHEZ, ROZZI, HOWARD, MENTZER, ABNEY, HADDOCK AND
D. WILLIAMS, OCTOBER 3, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 3, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of October 2023 as "Italian-American
Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, In October 1492, a three-ship expedition led by
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the shores of what
he named San Salvador, now in the Bahamas, bringing forth a new
era of exploration in the Americas; and
WHEREAS, The American continents are named after an Italian,
the explorer and geographer Amerigo Vespucci; 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
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
WHEREAS, An estimated 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the
United States between 1820 and 2004; and
WHEREAS, Today there are more than 18 million Americans of
Italian descent in the United States, making them the fourth-
largest ethnic group; 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 the 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; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of October 2023 as "Italian-American Heritage Month" in
Pennsylvania and commend the early immigrants for their
important role in our Commonwealth's history.
20230HR0231PN2101 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18