Mr. Speaker. the history of the United States is marked by a single phenomenon which has made our country unique among all the nations of the world and has resulted in our greatness as a free democratic society. I refer to the inexorable influx of immigrants from all parts of the globe which truly made our Nation a "melting pot" of cultures. histories. skills. ideas. religions. and most importantly: people. Today I would like the Congress to recognize the contributions made to American society by a single ethnic group which has never been sufficiently lauded: the Italian Americans. The vital role of Italian Americans in the historical growth and development of the United States began centuries before 1776 with the discovery of America by Columbus and the naming of the great land masses of the Western Hemisphere after the renowned Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
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immigrants