The bipartisan bill — introduced this week by
U.S. Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Michael Rulli (R-OH) — would establish a
planning commission to explore the feasibility of developing the
world-class museum in the heart of Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As it stands, 120 cultural and
nonprofit groups across the U.S. are rallying support for the
creation of a Smithsonian museum of Italian American history in the
nation's capital.
Leaders and members of the Italian American Congressional
Caucus, in collaboration with the Conference of Presidents of Major
Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), spearheaded H.R. 1102, a
bipartisan bill that, if passed, would create a commission to weigh
the feasibility of funding, developing and operating the museum on
Washington's National Mall.
This commission would consist of experts in museum planning and
the American immigrant experience, following a process modeled
after similar initiatives that led to national museums honoring
other ethnic communities.
"My father was born in Ruvo del Monte, Italy, and immigrated to the United States as a child," said Suozzi,
who's co-leading the bill alongside Rep. Michael Rulli. "Here, he served as a B-24
navigator in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, for which he
was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He came home from the
war and attended Harvard Law School
on the G.I. bill. At 28 years old, he was elected City Court Judge
in our hometown of Glen Cove, the
youngest judge in the history of New York
State. His story, and the story of so many other Italian
Americans of his generation, embodies the American dream and
fulfills the very promise of this country. These stories deserve a
platform to be told."
Advocacy efforts are already underway, as Italian Americans
across the country reach out to their respective U.S. House reps to
voice their support for the bill.
"COPOMIAO's Museum and Cultural Affairs Committee pitched me the
plan in 2024, and it was brilliant," said COPOMIAO President
Basil Russo. "This prestigious
historical initiative is part of our broader, dynamic movement,
which includes the illumination of our heritage in Hollywood, the elevation of our younger
generations and the preservation of our monuments and
holidays."
ABOUT COPOMIAO
Based in NYC, COPOMIAO is an Italian American
collective of 71 of the most influential, cultural, educational,
fraternal and anti-defamation groups in the U.S. Contact us.
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SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American
Organizations
