Expressing support for the designation of June as Portuguese National Heritage Month.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 457 Expressing support for the designation of June as Portuguese National Heritage Month. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 24, 2019 Mr. COX of California (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. KHANNA, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. LOWENTHAL, and Mr. LARSON of Connecticut) sub- mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of June as Portuguese National Heritage Month. Whereas Portugal was the first neutral nation to establish diplomatic ties with the United States; Whereas Portuguese Americans harbor a deep commitment to family and community, an enduring work ethic, and a perseverance to succeed and contribute to society; Whereas Portuguese Americans have contributed to the ad- vancement of early American society from manning whal- ing ships in New England to the introduction of grape cultivation in Georgia; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR457.IH HR457 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 457 IH Whereas Portuguese Americans have been leaders in elected governmental positions; Whereas Portuguese-American political influence began early in Hawaii, and in 1894, three of the 18 elected delegates to the Constitutional Convention were Portuguese; Whereas, in 1979, Peter ‘‘Tony’’ Coelho of California was elected to the House of Representatives, becoming the first Portuguese American to serve in Congress; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served in the highest positions of the national Government, the most notable of whom is nuclear physicist and former Secretary of En- ergy, Ernest Moniz; Whereas Portuguese Americans are leaders in the agricul- tural industry in California and throughout the Nation, most notably in the dairy industry; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served in the highest levels of the educational community, the most notable being Francis Mile Rogers, who was a professor of Por- tuguese at Harvard University, where he chaired the De- partment of Romance Languages and Literatures and served as the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served with distinction and proudly in the United States military; Whereas Portuguese Americans have made lasting contribu- tions to American culture in various ways, such as intro- ducing the ukulele to American music and John Philip Sousa, the ‘‘March King’’, composing the ‘‘Stars and Stripes Forever’’ march for the United States Navy; and Whereas Portuguese Americans, and particularly emigrants from the Azores Archipelago, have built bridges of co- operation and innovation that have strengthened trans- VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR457.IH HR457 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 457 IH atlantic relations through local and international Por- tuguese-American associations such as the Luso-Amer- ican Development Foundation: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of Portuguese Na- 2 tional Heritage Month; 3 (2) esteems the integral role of the Portuguese- 4 American community and the manifold heritage of 5 Portugal in the economy, culture, and identity of the 6 United States; and 7 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob- 8 serve a Portuguese National Heritage Month with 9 appropriate programs and activities that celebrate 10 the contributions of the Portuguese community to 11 the United States. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR457.IH HR457 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS