Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 130

Introduced by Senator Mendoza

begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Eggman, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, and Wood)

end insert

April 7, 2016

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 130—Relative to Portugal Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 130, as amended, Mendoza. Portugal Day

This act would declare June 10, 2016, as Portugal Day to celebrate Portuguese national heritage.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, In September 1542, Portuguese explorer João
Rodrigues Cabrilho sailed a ship into San Diego Bay, thereby
becoming the first European to explore the land now known as
California. Cabrilho’s efforts included exploring the California
coast, and he is credited with numerous coastal discoveries; and

WHEREAS, Portuguese immigrants began arriving in the United
States in relatively large numbers beginning in 1870, with most
of these immigrants being men from the Azores, who, for the most
part, had been recruited to farm and to work on American whaling
ships; and

WHEREAS, Between 1900 and 1940, as much as one-half of
the Portuguese community in California owned or operated a dairy
farm, worked on a dairy farm, or worked in a dairy-supporting
industry. Applying the Portuguese belief in hard work and
thriftiness, these pioneering Portuguese Americans were renowned
for their work ethic and ingenuity, often reinvesting in their own
businesses by buying more land and dairy cows; 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; and

WHEREAS, Portuguese Americans have made valuable and
substantial contributions to every facet of California life, such as
within the thriving agricultural communities of the Santa Clara
and San Joaquin Valleys and through service in local, state, and
federal office. Today, over 350,000 Portuguese Americans reside
in California; and

WHEREAS, Portuguese national literary icon Luís Vaz de
Camões wrote Portugal’s national epic poem, Os Lusíadas,
celebrating the 15th century Portuguese explorations that brought
fame and fortune to the country. The poem, considered one of the
finest and most important works in Portuguese literature, became
a symbol for the great feats of the Portuguese Empire; and

WHEREAS, Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades
Portuguesas, translated as “Day of Portugal, Camões, and the
Portuguese Communities,” commemorates the death of Luís Vaz
de Camões on June 10, 1580; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares June 10,
2016, as Portugal Day, a day to celebrate Portuguese national
heritage; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.