California Legislature Names October

[Phrygian]

http://www.eaif.org/histmonth.htm

California Legislature Names October "European American Heritage Month"

October has been designated "European American Heritage Month" by the California legislature, which unanimously approved the resolution in late August 1999.

"Public school students can now study and celebrate the many contributions that people of European origin have made to California and the United States," says Lou Calabro, head of the San Bruno-based European-American Issues Forum, which drafted the resolution. Calabro said his group modeled the resolution after those celebrating other racial/ethnic groups.

Calabro called upon parents and other interested individuals to contact local school districts and help them create special projects and curricula to highlight European-American heritage this October. No funding for the event has been made available by the legislature or the California Department of Education.

"With today's focus on multiculturalism, the legislature's support serves the interests of fairness and diversity by recognizing the European-American community as as a distinct, valued segment of our society," says Calabro, who noted Novato-resident Stan Hess suggested Heritage Month.

Assemblyman Lou Papan sponsored Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 91, which marks the first official recognition by the State government of the 16 million Californians of European ancestry, including such diverse groups as Anglo-Saxons, Armenians, Basque, Celts, French, Germans, Greeks, Spaniards, Italians, Scandinavians and Slavs.

"The State's recognition of the European-American community is a breakthrough that we hope will give us a seat at the table when decisions that affect our lives are being made," said Calabro.

The European-American Issues Forum is a civil rights group formed to discuss and take action on social, economic, cultural, political and related issues that particularly affect European-Americans in Northern California and beyond.

For more information, please contact :

European-American Issues Forum

297 El Camino Real, #155, San Bruno, CA 94066

Phone: 650/952-8489 o Fax: 650/869-7215