A JOINT MEMORIAL
ESTABLISHING "ITALIAN AMERICAN DAY" AT THE
LEGISLATURE IN 2003 IN RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITALIANS AND ITALIAN
AMERICANS TO THE COUNTRY AND TO NEW MEXICO.
WHEREAS, Italians, like Amerigo
Vespucci and
Christopher Columbus, were some of the first explorers to
discover the American continents and to illustrate the geography; and
WHEREAS, Italians and Italian
Americans have made great
contributions to American society economically, culturally
and politically; and
WHEREAS, Italian Americans have
won prestigious prizes, such as the Nobel prize, the Pritzker award for
architecture and the Fields medal for mathematics; and
WHEREAS, Italians and Italian
Americans invented pianos, violins, calendars, radios, telescopes, compasses,
microscopes, thermometers, eyeglasses, steam engines, typewriters and
batteries; and
WHEREAS, a great many Americans
have enjoyed the entertainment provided by Italian Americans, such as hall of
fame baseball player Joe DiMaggio, singer and songwriter Frank Sinatra,
world-renowned composer Henry Mancini and Oscar-winning actor Robert DeNiro;
and
WHEREAS, great Italian American
political figures, such as Fiorella La Guardia, who was both mayor of, then
congressman from, New York City; Anthony Celebrezze who, in the Kennedy
administration, was the first Italian American cabinet member; and Antonin
Scalia who, in 1982, became the first Italian American supreme court justice,
have enriched the political process and brought national pride to our country;
and
WHEREAS, Senator Pete Domenici
is not only the longest serving Italian American senator ever to serve in the
United States senate, but he is also the longest-serving New Mexico senator;
and
WHEREAS, over five million four
hundred thousand Italians immigrated to the United States between 1820 and
1991, which has resulted in there being over twenty-six million Americans of
Italian descent in the United States today, making them the fifth-largest
ethnic group; and
WHEREAS, in New Mexico, during
the early part of that immigration period, many Italian immigrants worked in
the mining industry and were instrumental in its development and growth; and
WHEREAS, New Mexico's history
and diversity have been greatly enriched by the participation of its Italian
American citizens; and
WHEREAS, there have been and
continue to be outstanding contributions to the politics, culture and economy
of
New Mexico by its Italian American population;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that March 11, 2003 be designated
as "Italian American Day" at the legislature in recognition of the
contributions of Italian Americans, including our own United States Senator
Pete Domenici, to the greatness of our state; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an
appropriate program of activities be scheduled by the legislature for that
date.