PENNSYLVANIA, October 28 - WHEREAS, A feudal society, high unemployment and oppressive

taxes coupled with natural disasters, disease, poverty and

famine, gave many reasons for Italians to look for freedom and

opportunities abroad; and

WHEREAS, While educated Italian professionals also emigrated,

many Italian immigrants arrived relatively unskilled, but soon

helped fuel a booming industrial economy by providing labor for

American factories and mines and helping to build roads, dams,

tunnels and other infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, As Italian Americans began settling in the country's

major cities, they faced religious and ethnic discrimination

which occasionally led to brutal violence; and

WHEREAS, For this reason, Italian Americans started

celebrating the life and accomplishments of Christopher Columbus

as a way for citizens of Italian descent to be accepted by their

new homeland; and

WHEREAS, In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed

Columbus Day as a national holiday; and

WHEREAS, We credit Christopher Columbus with Italian

immigration to the New World and what is now Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Currently, there are more than 16 million Americans

of Italian heritage in the United States and more than 1.4

million Americans of Italian heritage residing in Pennsylvania;

and

WHEREAS, In 1905, the Order Sons of Italy in America was

formed with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to follow in 1913;

and

WHEREAS, More recently, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

became an independent organization and was renamed the Grand

Lodge of Pennsylvania Sons and Daughters of Italy, existing to

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