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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On March 17, 2011, the Republic of Italy is marking |
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the 150th anniversary of its unification, and this occasion |
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presents an ideal opportunity to celebrate the historic ties |
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between Italy and the United States and to recognize the remarkable |
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contributions of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an international hero of |
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liberation; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Nice on July 4, 1807, while the city was |
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under French control, Mr. Garibaldi became a merchant marine |
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captain before joining Giovane Italia, or Young Italy, to free the
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Northern Italian provinces from Austrian domination and create a |
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republican government; following a failed insurrection in 1834, he |
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made his way to South America, where he formed the Italian Legion |
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with other exiles and republicans; they fought Brazilian and |
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Argentinean imperialism, and Mr. Garibaldi's military victories |
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assured the independence of Uruguay and earned him acclaim far and |
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wide; he nobly declined the offer of land grants from the president |
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of Uruguay, stating that the "Italian legionnaires hold firmly to |
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the belief that it is their duty as free men to fight for freedom |
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wherever tyranny exists"; and |
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WHEREAS, The "Hero of Two Worlds," as he became known, |
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returned to Italy to defend the short-lived First Roman Republic, |
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but after its fall, Mr. Garibaldi escaped to the United States; |
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during a brief period as a Staten Island resident, he applied for |
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U.S. citizenship, only to rejoin the Italian Risorgimento, or
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Resurgence, in 1854; he achieved decisive victories over foreign |
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imperial dynasties and on March 17, 1861, their occupation was |
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ended; and |
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WHEREAS, Italy's triumph of political self-determination |
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inspired Americans, and Mr. Garibaldi's military genius prompted |
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the Lincoln administration to approach him with the offer of a Union |
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Army command early in the Civil War, but negotiations foundered; he |
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continued to participate in the struggle for freedom in Europe and |
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died at his home on the Italian island of Caprera on June 2, 1882; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Italy and the United States have |
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forged innumerable bonds through shared history, culture, and |
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intellectual endeavors; moreover, Italian Americans are one of our |
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nation's largest ethnic groups, numbering nearly 25 million, |
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according to the National Italian American Foundation, and many |
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Italian Americans make their home in the Lone Star State; Texans of |
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Italian descent have made vital contributions to their communities |
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and their country, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy's national hero, |
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is also celebrated as a defender of liberty, much like those who |
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gave their lives at the Alamo; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 150th anniversary of the |
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unification of the Republic of Italy and posthumously recognize |
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Giuseppe Garibaldi as an honorary Texan. |