| |
| |
|
|
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
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. |