Bill Text: TX HCR144 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating June 2 as Italian Heritage Day for a 10-year period, beginning in 2011.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Signed by the Governor [HCR144 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR144-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 144 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited enormously from | ||
| the contributions of its Italian American residents; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, the | ||
| few Italians who came to Texas were mainly explorers, adventurers, | ||
| or missionaries; Italians began to play a larger role toward the end | ||
| of the 19th century, when Piedmontese made their homes in Montague | ||
| County and Sicilians settled in the lower Brazos valley and on the | ||
| Galveston County mainland; Modenese, Venetians, and Piedmontese | ||
| worked the coal mines at Thurber, and Italian financier Joseph | ||
| Telfener brought some 1,200 Lombards to help construct the New | ||
| York, Texas and Mexican Railway between Victoria and Rosenberg; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Most of the railway builders and coal miners moved | ||
| back to Italy or on to other places when their work was completed; | ||
| however, the Italian American community in the Brazos valley fanned | ||
| out into surrounding areas, and settlements in Houston, Galveston, | ||
| and San Antonio expanded rapidly; new residents founded churches, | ||
| newspapers, and benevolent-fraternal organizations, as well as | ||
| businesses; prominent Italian Americans of the 20th century include | ||
| bootmaker Sam Lucchese, sculptor Pompeo Coppini, rancher Antonio | ||
| Mateo Bruni, and agriculturalist-developer Biagio Varisco; the | ||
| towns of Bruni and Varisco and such names as Bruni Park, Varisco | ||
| Airport, Liggio Street, and Laneri Avenue are a testament to the | ||
| achievements of Italian Americans; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through the years, individuals of Italian descent | ||
| have excelled in all sectors of our society and economy, enriching | ||
| our cultural tapestry, enhancing our prosperity, and securing the | ||
| Lone Star State's reputation as a land of promise and possibility; | ||
| June 2 represents an ideal date on which to honor those | ||
| accomplishments, as Italians around the world celebrate this day as | ||
| Festa della Repubblica to commemorate the 1946 referendum that | ||
| ended the monarchy in Italy and established a republic; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate June 2 as Italian Heritage Day; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
| 391.004(d), Government Code, the designation expires on the 10th | ||
| anniversary of the date this resolution is passed by the | ||
| legislature. | ||
| Parker | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 144 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 19, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 144 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
| 29, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
