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

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1390 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1390

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 24, 2026

 Mr. Valadao (for himself, Mr. Costa, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Case, Mr. Gray,
   Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. Trahan, and Mr. Keating)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
                   on Oversight and Government 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;
Whereas Portuguese Americans have been leaders in elected governmental
        positions;
Whereas Portuguese-American political influence began early in Hawaii, and in
        1894, 3 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 contributed significantly to the prosperity of
        New Bedford and Fall River, Massachusetts, through leadership in
        maritime industries, small businesses, public service, and community
        organizations;
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;
Whereas, through signing of a formal memorandum of understanding, the Embassy of
        Portugal in Washington, DC, is officially part of the America250
        celebration marking 250 years of United States independence;
Whereas this year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Portuguese-language
        television program in North America, a program that began in 1956 with
        Casey Santos in Tulare County, California, marking a major
        accomplishment of Portuguese Americans;
Whereas Portuguese Americans, and particularly emigrants from the Azores
        Archipelago, have built bridges of cooperation and innovation that have
        strengthened transatlantic relations through local and international
        Portuguese-American associations such as the Luso-American Development
        Foundation and the Portuguese American Leadership Council; and
Whereas Dia de Portugal is annually celebrated on June 10: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of Portuguese
        National Heritage Month;
            (2) esteems the integral role of the Portuguese-American
        community and the manifold heritage of Portugal in the economy,
        culture, and identity of the United States; and
            (3) urges the people of the United States to observe a
        Portuguese National Heritage Month with appropriate programs
        and activities that celebrate the contributions of the
        Portuguese community to the United States.
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