| 1 | | - | Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 51 CHAPTER 34 Relative to Irish American Heritage Month. [ Filed with Secretary of State April 08, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 51, Haney. Irish American Heritage Month.This measure would, among other things, designate March 2025 as Irish American Heritage Month in honor of 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland and would commemorate the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to this country and state.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, The democratic expression of the people of Irelands will in 1918 led directly to the establishment of an independent state and enabled the people of Ireland to enjoy the freedom they have today; andWHEREAS, The First Dil gave a voice to the people of Irelands expression of self-determination in the 1918 general election; andWHEREAS, On January 21, 1919, the first meeting of the unicameral parliament of the revolutionary Irish Republic, known as the First Dil ireann, met in the City of Dublins Mansion House to declare Ireland to be an independent nation and to establish its alternative parliament; andWHEREAS, The First Dil produced a Declaration of Independence and a Message to the Free Nations of the World; andWHEREAS, The United States recognized and established diplomatic relations with the Irish Free State in 1924; andWHEREAS, The year 2025 marks 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland, over a century of official meaningful engagement of which both countries are very proud; andWHEREAS, On April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, with the goals of bringing a new era of devolved government and democracy to Northern Ireland, ending violence, and ensuring peace for the people on the island of Ireland; andWHEREAS, The successful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement stands as a historic and groundbreaking success that has proven critical to the decades of relative peace that have followed; andWHEREAS, The restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, coupled with the economic opportunities that Northern Irelands unique access to both the United Kingdom internal market and the European Union single market provides, paved the way for a thriving Irish economy; andWHEREAS, Millions of Irish people, faced with severe hardship due to famine and poverty in their nation, immigrated to the United States over the last several centuries in search of a more promising future for themselves and their families; and WHEREAS, The journey to America from the Emerald Isle was not paved with gold. The Irish spirit of determination, perseverance, and grit prevailed against dangerous seas and deadly conditions with their hearts set on the horizon; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans initially suffered prejudice and discrimination upon first arriving in the United States. As the years went on, Irish Americans became deeply integrated in their communities and made numerous contributions in all aspects of American society and culture; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans played vital roles in the development of the United States. Nine Irish Americans were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and 23 Presidents of the United States have been of Irish heritage, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden; andWHEREAS, Many people of Irish descent have contributed to great movements that have helped to shape our country and its role in the world, including Mother Jones, labor activist; Kate Kennedy, known for the equal pay for equal work campaign; Lucy Burns, activist in the womens suffrage movement; and Senator George J. Mitchell, negotiator of the Belfast Agreement; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have also played a major role in California politics as governors, legislative leaders, city mayors, and other public officials, who have worked tirelessly to build California into the state that it is today; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans were significantly involved in the development of infrastructure throughout the United States, especially in the State of California. This included work on railroads and bridges that connected the west to the east. The Irish were also instrumental in the building of dams, roads, canals, and buildings that expanded greatly in the late 1800s; andWHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have made their mark as peace officers and firefighters and have risked or lost their lives on countless occasions in carrying out their duties; andWHEREAS, Many outstanding soldiers, never to be forgotten, who fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War were of Irish descent. Irish Americans have proudly served with distinction in every war that this nation has fought and continue to do so today; andWHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have contributed greatly to the United States economy in business, including: Alexander Turney Stewart, the inventor of the American department store; Cathleen Black, former president of Hearst Publishing; Jack Welch, former president and chief executive officer of General Electric; Herb Kelleher, cofounder of Southwest Airlines; John Donahoe, former chief executive officer of Nike, Inc.; Conrad Burke, founder of Innovalight, Inc.; Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company; Richard and Maurice McDonald, founders of McDonalds fast food; and Maggie Sullivan Wilderotter, chair of DocuSign; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the field of science, including: astronaut Michael Collins; the first female commander of a space shuttle, Eileen Collins; physicist and Nobel Laureate Charles H. Townes; and bioengineer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient James J. Collins; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the American literary tradition through great authors, including Flannery OConnor, Eugene ONeill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, Tom Clancy, and Frank McCourt; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to American entertainment with such stars as actors Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, and George Clooney; actor and comedian Bill Murray; actress Grace Kelly; actress and comedian Rosie ODonnell; actor and singer Bing Crosby; actress and singer Rosemary Clooney; actress and singer Judy Garland; comedian Conan OBrien; and actor and director Edward Burns, all being of Irish heritage; andWHEREAS, There is significant economic reciprocity between California and Ireland, including Ireland as the seventh largest source of foreign direct investment through wholly foreign-owned enterprises in California, and there is work underway to further build these relationships; andWHEREAS, There exists a longstanding and richly multifaceted relationship between California and Ireland. The first Consulate General of Ireland opened in the City of San Francisco in 1933 and the second Consulate General of Ireland opened in the City of Los Angeles in 2019, which reinforces the strong and vibrant connections between California and Ireland built on shared heritage, values, and ambition; andWHEREAS, There is a significant and mutually beneficial economic relationship between Ireland and the United States as a whole, with Ireland being the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment into the United States with investment by Irish companies in 2023 worth $351 billion, and with the dynamic two-way trade and investment relationship exceeding 1 trillion annually; andWHEREAS, Taoiseach Michel Martin, has reaffirmed Irelands commitment to the strong bilateral relations between Ireland and the United States, and that both nations will work constructively together throughout the next administration to further strengthen and advance common interests and shared prosperity; andWHEREAS, Today, over 35,000,000 Americans claim Irish heritage, and they continue to contribute to the politics, economy, and culture of the United States and California; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in honor of 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland and the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to make this a better country and state for all people, designates March 2025 to be Irish American Heritage Month in California, and calls upon the people of the state to observe the month of March with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities, especially on March 17, because everyone is Irish on St. Patricks Day; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to Irelands Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason; Ceann Comhairle of Dil ireann, Verona Murphy; Cathaoirleach of Seanad Eireann, Mark Daly; Irelands Consul General to the Western United States, Michel Smith; Irelands Consul General to the South Western United States, Marcella Smyth; and to the author for further appropriate distribution. |
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| 1 | + | Enrolled April 04, 2025 Passed IN Senate April 03, 2025 Passed IN Assembly March 17, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 51Introduced by Assembly Member Haney(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Calderon, Connolly, Flora, and Gallagher)(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, vila Faras, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Caloza, Castillo, Chen, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Essayli, Fong, Gabriel, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark Gonzlez, Hadwick, Harabedian, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Lackey, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Pacheco, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur)March 11, 2025 Relative to Irish American Heritage Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 51, Haney. Irish American Heritage Month.This measure would, among other things, designate March 2025 as Irish American Heritage Month in honor of 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland and would commemorate the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to this country and state.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, The democratic expression of the people of Irelands will in 1918 led directly to the establishment of an independent state and enabled the people of Ireland to enjoy the freedom they have today; andWHEREAS, The First Dil gave a voice to the people of Irelands expression of self-determination in the 1918 general election; andWHEREAS, On January 21, 1919, the first meeting of the unicameral parliament of the revolutionary Irish Republic, known as the First Dil ireann, met in the City of Dublins Mansion House to declare Ireland to be an independent nation and to establish its alternative parliament; andWHEREAS, The First Dil produced a Declaration of Independence and a Message to the Free Nations of the World; andWHEREAS, The United States recognized and established diplomatic relations with the Irish Free State in 1924; andWHEREAS, The year 2025 marks 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland, over a century of official meaningful engagement of which both countries are very proud; andWHEREAS, On April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, with the goals of bringing a new era of devolved government and democracy to Northern Ireland, ending violence, and ensuring peace for the people on the island of Ireland; andWHEREAS, The successful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement stands as a historic and groundbreaking success that has proven critical to the decades of relative peace that have followed; andWHEREAS, The restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, coupled with the economic opportunities that Northern Irelands unique access to both the United Kingdom internal market and the European Union single market provides, paved the way for a thriving Irish economy; andWHEREAS, Millions of Irish people, faced with severe hardship due to famine and poverty in their nation, immigrated to the United States over the last several centuries in search of a more promising future for themselves and their families; and WHEREAS, The journey to America from the Emerald Isle was not paved with gold. The Irish spirit of determination, perseverance, and grit prevailed against dangerous seas and deadly conditions with their hearts set on the horizon; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans initially suffered prejudice and discrimination upon first arriving in the United States. As the years went on, Irish Americans became deeply integrated in their communities and made numerous contributions in all aspects of American society and culture; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans played vital roles in the development of the United States. Nine Irish Americans were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and 23 Presidents of the United States have been of Irish heritage, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden; andWHEREAS, Many people of Irish descent have contributed to great movements that have helped to shape our country and its role in the world, including Mother Jones, labor activist; Kate Kennedy, known for the equal pay for equal work campaign; Lucy Burns, activist in the womens suffrage movement; and Senator George J. Mitchell, negotiator of the Belfast Agreement; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have also played a major role in California politics as governors, legislative leaders, city mayors, and other public officials, who have worked tirelessly to build California into the state that it is today; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans were significantly involved in the development of infrastructure throughout the United States, especially in the State of California. This included work on railroads and bridges that connected the west to the east. The Irish were also instrumental in the building of dams, roads, canals, and buildings that expanded greatly in the late 1800s; andWHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have made their mark as peace officers and firefighters and have risked or lost their lives on countless occasions in carrying out their duties; andWHEREAS, Many outstanding soldiers, never to be forgotten, who fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War were of Irish descent. Irish Americans have proudly served with distinction in every war that this nation has fought and continue to do so today; andWHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have contributed greatly to the United States economy in business, including: Alexander Turney Stewart, the inventor of the American department store; Cathleen Black, former president of Hearst Publishing; Jack Welch, former president and chief executive officer of General Electric; Herb Kelleher, cofounder of Southwest Airlines; John Donahoe, former chief executive officer of Nike, Inc.; Conrad Burke, founder of Innovalight, Inc.; Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company; Richard and Maurice McDonald, founders of McDonalds fast food; and Maggie Sullivan Wilderotter, chair of DocuSign; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the field of science, including: astronaut Michael Collins; the first female commander of a space shuttle, Eileen Collins; physicist and Nobel Laureate Charles H. Townes; and bioengineer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient James J. Collins; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the American literary tradition through great authors, including Flannery OConnor, Eugene ONeill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, Tom Clancy, and Frank McCourt; andWHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to American entertainment with such stars as actors Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, and George Clooney; actor and comedian Bill Murray; actress Grace Kelly; actress and comedian Rosie ODonnell; actor and singer Bing Crosby; actress and singer Rosemary Clooney; actress and singer Judy Garland; comedian Conan OBrien; and actor and director Edward Burns, all being of Irish heritage; andWHEREAS, There is significant economic reciprocity between California and Ireland, including Ireland as the seventh largest source of foreign direct investment through wholly foreign-owned enterprises in California, and there is work underway to further build these relationships; andWHEREAS, There exists a longstanding and richly multifaceted relationship between California and Ireland. The first Consulate General of Ireland opened in the City of San Francisco in 1933 and the second Consulate General of Ireland opened in the City of Los Angeles in 2019, which reinforces the strong and vibrant connections between California and Ireland built on shared heritage, values, and ambition; andWHEREAS, There is a significant and mutually beneficial economic relationship between Ireland and the United States as a whole, with Ireland being the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment into the United States with investment by Irish companies in 2023 worth $351 billion, and with the dynamic two-way trade and investment relationship exceeding 1 trillion annually; andWHEREAS, Taoiseach Michel Martin, has reaffirmed Irelands commitment to the strong bilateral relations between Ireland and the United States, and that both nations will work constructively together throughout the next administration to further strengthen and advance common interests and shared prosperity; andWHEREAS, Today, over 35,000,000 Americans claim Irish heritage, and they continue to contribute to the politics, economy, and culture of the United States and California; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in honor of 101 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland and the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to make this a better country and state for all people, designates March 2025 to be Irish American Heritage Month in California, and calls upon the people of the state to observe the month of March with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities, especially on March 17, because everyone is Irish on St. Patricks Day; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to Irelands Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason; Ceann Comhairle of Dil ireann, Verona Murphy; Cathaoirleach of Seanad Eireann, Mark Daly; Irelands Consul General to the Western United States, Michel Smith; Irelands Consul General to the South Western United States, Marcella Smyth; and to the author for further appropriate distribution. |
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