[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5960-5961]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANT WEEK

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                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                  in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2017

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th 
Anniversary of Portuguese Immigrant Week. As members of the Portuguese 
community in the Sacramento region celebrate and gather today, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in honoring them and their long history and 
contributions to our region and country.
  California was discovered by Portuguese explorer Joao Rodrigues 
Cabrillo in 1542. Centuries later, in the mid-1800s, Portuguese 
immigrants made new roots for their families setting in our state--many 
owned, operated, or worked on a dairy farm or in the dairy-related 
industry. Throughout the many decades,

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the Portuguese communities in California have made a great effort to 
preserve their culture and identity. The Portuguese communities and 
their members contribute many services to the local community and they 
are always striving to uphold the values that the Portuguese community 
holds dear. Fifty years ago, recognizing their contributions, then 
Governor Ronald Reagan declared the second week of March as 
``Portuguese Immigrant Week''. We celebrate the long history of the 
Portuguese community in our region. The community in Sacramento 
continues to share their rich and beautiful heritage and we will 
continue to celebrate their influence in our region.
  Mr. Speaker, as members of our community gather to celebrate the 
outstanding contributions of our Portuguese families, I ask all my 
colleagues to join me in honoring them for their dedication.

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