BILL NUMBER: ACR 89	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  81
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 7, 2014
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JUNE 26, 2014
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 9, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Salas

                        FEBRUARY 3, 2014

   Relative to Portuguese Heritage Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 89, Salas. Portuguese Heritage Month.
   This bill would recognize the month of June 2014 as Portuguese
Heritage Month.



   WHEREAS, In September of 1542, Portuguese explorer Juan Rodrigues
Cabrillo (Jo�o Rodrigues Cabrillo) sailed a ship into San Diego Bay
and became the first European to explore the land now known as
California. Cabrillo explored the California coast, and is credited
with numerous coastal discoveries; and
   WHEREAS, The first Portuguese settlers came to California from the
Azores Islands in the early 19th century, the largest wave of
Azorean immigrants moved to California just before and after the turn
of the 20th century and industriously set up agricultural
operations, especially dairy, vegetable, and fruit farms; and
   WHEREAS, Throughout most of the 20th century, as many as one-half
of all Portuguese Californians owned or operated a dairy farm, worked
on a dairy farm, or worked in a dairy-related industry. Applying the
Portuguese belief in hard work and thriftiness, along with
additional labor from family members, a Portuguese settler could earn
enough to reinvest in his business, and buy more land and cattle;
and
   WHEREAS, Historically, California has been a popular destination
for immigrants from the Azores Islands, creating strong cultural ties
between the two regions; currently there are almost 500,000 persons
of Portuguese heritage living in California, approximately 90 percent
of whom have either come directly from the Azores Islands or are of
Azorean parentage; and
   WHEREAS, In 1994, the University of California, Berkeley,
established The Portuguese Studies Program. Included among the many
goals of the program is the goal "to spotlight the crucial and
complex but often overlooked experience and contributions of the
Portuguese American community"; and
   WHEREAS, Among the great Portuguese Americans who have contributed
significantly to this country are: composer John Philip Sousa, best
known for composing "Stars and Stripes Forever"; poet Emma Lazarus,
best known for her sonnet about the Statue of Liberty, "The New
Colossus"; architect William L. Pereira, best known for designing the
Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco; and singer and actress Carmen
Miranda. Many Portuguese Americans have also served with distinction
in local, state, and federal office, and have served proudly in this
country's military; and
   WHEREAS, Portuguese Americans have truly made valuable and
substantial contributions to every facet of California life including
the entertainment industry, the most notable of whom are Mary Astor,
Tom Hanks, Joe Perry, and James Franco; and
   WHEREAS, Portuguese Americans continue to thrive in agricultural
communities of the San Joaquin Valley, including Hanford and Lemoore
in Kings County and Shafter, Wasco, and Bakersfield in Kern County;
they have contributed greatly to making market milk the leading
agricultural product by value in both Kings and Kern Counties; and
   WHEREAS, The Portuguese Heritage Society of California designated
the second Saturday of June as a day to celebrate Portuguese culture
through music, dance, art, cooking, parades, and other festivities;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares the month of
June 2014 as Portuguese National Heritage Month; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.