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) submitted 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 advancement of early American society from manning whaling ships in New England to the introduction of grape 

cultivation in Georgia; 


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•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 Energy, Ernest Moniz; 

Whereas Portuguese Americans are leaders in the agricultural 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 Portuguese at Harvard University, where he chaired the Department 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 contributions to American culture in various ways, such as introducing 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 cooperation and innovation that have strengthened transVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR457.IH HR457

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•HRES 457 IH 

atlantic relations through local and international Portuguese-American associations such as the Luso-American Development Foundation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of Portuguese Na3 tional Heritage Month; 

4 (2) esteems the integral role of the Portuguese5 American community and the manifold heritage of 

6 Portugal in the economy, culture, and identity of the 

7 United States; and 

8 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob9 serve a Portuguese National Heritage Month with 

10 appropriate programs and activities that celebrate 

11 the contributions of the Portuguese community to 

12 the United States. 

Æ 


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