| 7 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 8 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 9 | 5 | | HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 10 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited enormously from |
|---|
| 11 | 7 | | the contributions of its Italian American residents; and |
|---|
| 12 | 8 | | WHEREAS, During the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, the |
|---|
| 13 | 9 | | few Italians who came to Texas were mainly explorers, adventurers, |
|---|
| 14 | 10 | | or missionaries; Italians began to play a larger role toward the end |
|---|
| 15 | 11 | | of the 19th century, when Piedmontese made their homes in Montague |
|---|
| 16 | 12 | | County and Sicilians settled in the lower Brazos valley and on the |
|---|
| 17 | 13 | | Galveston County mainland; Modenese, Venetians, and Piedmontese |
|---|
| 18 | 14 | | worked the coal mines at Thurber, and Italian financier Joseph |
|---|
| 19 | 15 | | Telfener brought some 1,200 Lombards to help construct the New |
|---|
| 20 | 16 | | York, Texas and Mexican Railway between Victoria and Rosenberg; and |
|---|
| 21 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Most of the railway builders and coal miners moved |
|---|
| 22 | 18 | | back to Italy or on to other places when their work was completed; |
|---|
| 23 | 19 | | however, the Italian American community in the Brazos valley fanned |
|---|
| 24 | 20 | | out into surrounding areas, and settlements in Houston, Galveston, |
|---|
| 25 | 21 | | and San Antonio expanded rapidly; new residents founded churches, |
|---|
| 26 | 22 | | newspapers, and benevolent-fraternal organizations, as well as |
|---|
| 27 | 23 | | businesses; prominent Italian Americans of the 20th century include |
|---|
| 28 | 24 | | bootmaker Sam Lucchese, sculptor Pompeo Coppini, rancher Antonio |
|---|
| 29 | 25 | | Mateo Bruni, and agriculturalist-developer Biagio Varisco; the |
|---|
| 30 | 26 | | towns of Bruni and Varisco and such names as Bruni Park, Varisco |
|---|
| 31 | 27 | | Airport, Liggio Street, and Laneri Avenue are a testament to the |
|---|
| 32 | 28 | | achievements of Italian Americans; and |
|---|
| 33 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Through the years, individuals of Italian descent |
|---|
| 34 | 30 | | have excelled in all sectors of our society and economy, enriching |
|---|
| 35 | 31 | | our cultural tapestry, enhancing our prosperity, and securing the |
|---|
| 36 | 32 | | Lone Star State's reputation as a land of promise and possibility; |
|---|
| 37 | 33 | | most recently, Italian Americans have made prominent contributions |
|---|
| 38 | 34 | | throughout the state in such areas as aerospace, energy, |
|---|
| 39 | 35 | | technology, science, research, and arts and culture, in addition to |
|---|
| 40 | 36 | | construction and economic development projects; June 2 represents |
|---|
| 41 | 37 | | an ideal date on which to honor all of those accomplishments, as |
|---|
| 42 | 38 | | Italians around the world celebrate this day as Festa della |
|---|
| 43 | 39 | | Repubblica to commemorate the 1946 referendum that ended the |
|---|
| 44 | 40 | | monarchy in Italy and established a republic and to commemorate |
|---|
| 45 | 41 | | over 160 years since the unification of Italy; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 46 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
|---|
| 47 | 43 | | hereby designate June 2 as Italian Heritage Day; and, be it further |
|---|
| 48 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
|---|
| 49 | 45 | | 391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
|---|
| 50 | 46 | | until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
|---|
| 51 | 47 | | passed by the legislature. |
|---|