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SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 72

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Lidio G. Rainaldi

A JOINT MEMORIAL

DECLARING MARCH 15, 2007 TO BE "ITALIAN AMERICAN DAY" AT THE

LEGISLATURE 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 their geographies; 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,

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thermometers, eyeglasses, steam engines, typewriters and

batteries; and

WHEREAS, a great many Americans have enjoyed the

entertainment provided by Italian Americans, such as national

baseball hall of fame baseball player Joe DiMaggio, singer and

songwriter Frank Sinatra, world-renowned composer Henry Mancini

and oscar-winning actors Al Pachino and Robert DeNiro; and

WHEREAS, great Italian American political figures have

enriched the political process and brought national pride to

our country, including Fiorello 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 member of a presidential cabinet; and Antonin Scalia

who, in 1982, became the first Italian American to become a

United States supreme court justice; and

WHEREAS, Senator Pete Domenici is not only the longest-

serving Italian American senator ever to serve in the United

States senate, he is also the longest-serving New Mexico

senator; and

WHEREAS, in New Mexico, during the early period of Italian

immigration to the United States, 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

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residents; and

WHEREAS, there have been, and continue to be, outstanding

contributions to the politics, culture and economy of New

Mexico from its Italian American population;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that March 15, 2007 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.

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