Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 13
CHAPTER 16
Relative to Irish-American Heritage Month.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
March 26, 2007.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 13, Corbett.
Irish-American Heritage Month.
This measure would designate March 2007 and March 2008 as Irish-American Heritage Month in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish-Americans have made to the country and state.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Millions of Irish people, faced with severe hardship due to famine and poverty in their nation, immigrated to the United States over the last several centuries in search of a more promising future for themselves and their families; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans initially suffered prejudice and discrimination upon first arriving in the United States. As the years went on, Irish-Americans became very involved in the community and made numerous contributions in all aspects of American society and culture, especially in California; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans played vital roles in the development of the United States. Nine Irish-Americans were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and 19 Presidents of the United States have been of Irish heritage, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton; and
WHEREAS, Many people of Irish descent have contributed to great movements that have helped to shape our country and its role in the world, including Mother Jones, labor activist; Lucy Burns, activist in the Women’s Movement; and Senator George Mitchell, negotiator of the Irish Peace Accord; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans have also played a major role in California politics. Many governors, legislative leaders, city mayors, and other public officials who have shaped the development of California over the years have been of Irish descent; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans were very involved in the development of infrastructure throughout the United States and especially in California. This included work on railroads and bridges that connected the West to the East. The Irish were also instrumental in the building of dams, roads, canals, and buildings that expanded greatly in the late 1800s; and
WHEREAS, Many Irish-Americans have made their mark in pursuit of public safety and have risked or lost their lives on countless occasions in carrying out their duties; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans have served with distinction in every war that this nation has fought. Many of the outstanding soldiers who fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War were of Irish descent. Since then, Irish-Americans have sacrificed their lives in every other war in which the United States has fought; and
WHEREAS, Many Irish-Americans have contributed greatly to the United States economy in business, including Henry Ford; Alexander Stewart, the inventor of the American department store; and Cathleen Black, president, Hearst Publishing; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans have contributed to the American literary tradition through great authors including Flannery O’Connor, Eugene O’Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, Tom Clancy, and Frank McCourt; and
WHEREAS, Irish-Americans have contributed to American entertainment with such stars as actors Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, and George Clooney, actor and comedian Bill Murray, actress Grace Kelly, actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, actor and singer Bing Crosby, actress and singer Rosemary Clooney, and actor and director Edward Burns being of Irish heritage; and
WHEREAS, Today, over 44 million Americans claim Irish heritage, and they continue to contribute to American and California politics, economy, and culture; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish-Americans have made to make this a better country and state for all people, designates March 2007 and March 2008 to be Irish-American Heritage Month in California and calls upon the people of the state to observe the month of March with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities, especially on March 17, since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.