20250ACR_009196CHP INTRODUCED 2025-05-23 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-06-02 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-06-09 PASSED_SENATE 2025-06-27 ENROLLED 2025-07-01 CHAPTERED 2025-07-03 FILED 2025-07-03 2025 ACR CHP CHR 0 Introduced by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Macedo) (Principal coauthor: Senator Stern) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Macedo PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR SENATE Stern COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alvarez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Arambula COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bauer-Kahan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bennett COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Calderon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Carrillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Castillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY DeMaio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Dixon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ellis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Flora COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gallagher COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jeff Gonzalez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hadwick COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hart COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hoover COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lackey COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lee COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Quirk-Silva COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rivas COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Michelle Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sanchez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Solache COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Tangipa COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Valencia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wallis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wicks COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to Portuguese Heritage Month.

Portuguese Heritage Month Portuguese Heritage Month: Day of Portugal: Day of the Azores. This measure would declare the month of June to be Portuguese Heritage Month and would recognize June as the Day of Portugal and June as the Day of the Azores. NO

WHEREAS, Portuguese presence in California predates the establishment of California as a State in the Union; and

WHEREAS, The first Portuguese settlers came to California from the Azores Islands in the early 19th century. Waves of Azorean immigrants moved to California just before and during the 20th century, with the first wave of Azorean immigrants moving to California just before and after the turn of the 20th century, followed by the second and largest wave between and 1976, each contributing substantially to establishing agricultural operations, especially dairy, livestock, vegetable, fruit farms, and the tuna industry in southern California; 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, Portuguese settlers could earn enough to reinvest in their businesses, and buy more land and cattle. Still today, Portuguese Americans in California continue to play an important role in agriculture and dairying, as proprietors and innovators; 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 more than 350,000 persons of Portuguese heritage living in California, approximately percent of whom have either come directly from the Azores Islands or are of Azorean ancestry; and

WHEREAS, In early 1855, the Old Company of Portuguese Whalers, a 15-member enterprise, was owned and operated by Azoreans in the City of Monterey, and, in the City of San Diego, Portuguese immigrants, mostly from the islands of the Azores and Madeira, had a prominent position in the tuna industry; and

WHEREAS, The Portuguese fraternal movement has played a role in the financial and cultural stability of the community, led today by two societies, the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America and the Luso-American Fraternal Federation, with headquarters in this state; and

WHEREAS, Portuguese language courses taught at community heritage schools, public elementary and high schools, community colleges, the California State University system, University of California campuses, and private colleges build cognizance of the importance of the Portuguese language as a world language and awareness to the contributions that Californians of Portuguese ancestry have given this state, as well as building exchanges with colleges and universities in Portugal, including the recently created Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute at the California State University, Fresno, with its new approach to conferences, oral history, research, academic publications, symposiums, exchange programs in agriculture, and community outreach, including the only Azorean Diaspora Center in the CSU system; and

WHEREAS, Californians of Portuguese ancestry came together in to create the California Portuguese American Coalition sponsored by the Luso-American Development Foundation to create a network of public servants of Portuguese ancestry and elected officials who represent areas where Californians of Portuguese ancestry live and contribute to our rich diversity and to encourage young Portuguese Americans to participate in our democracy through public service; and

WHEREAS, In March of 2018, Californians of Portuguese ancestry created the only strategic plan in the United States to teach the Portuguese language and cultures in California public and private schools, colleges, and universities in order to contribute to the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of our state and to foster a deeper connection to, and increase economic opportunities between, California and all the Portuguese-speaking countries throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, The State of California has a sister state relationship with the Autonomous Region of the Azores, adopted in 2002, and recently revised by working with a Friends of the Azores group to bring further development in not only cultural exchanges, but also in important areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism, and technology; 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 composing a sonnet about the Statue of Liberty, “The New Colossus”; and architect William L. Pereira, best known for designing the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. 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 made valuable and substantial contributions to every facet of California life including the entertainment industry, the most notable of whom are Mary Astor, Katy Perry, Tom Hanks, Joe Perry, Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Perry, and Sara Bareilles; and

WHEREAS, The Portuguese community press, through radio, newspaper, and television, have been important vehicles in maintaining the Portuguese American experience in California, serving as bridges to our multicultural state, currently through the Tribuna Portuguesa, the only bilingual Portuguese newspaper in the western United States; and

WHEREAS, The Portuguese Heritage Society of California built the Portuguese Historical Museum to serve as a center for the display of Portuguese heritage and culture, and the Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, through book publications, have recorded Portuguese contributions to this state in various facets; and

WHEREAS, The Portuguese Holy Ghost Festival and other religious and cultural festivals are an important part of the communities in which they are held, bringing communities together and preserving and disseminating in mainstream California the rich traditions of a proud people who are completely integrated into Californian society;

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 to be Portuguese Heritage Month and recognizes June as the Day of Portugal and June as the Day of the Azores; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.