Sons of Italy Launches Letter Writing Campaign to Save Columbus Day in Denver
Press
Contact: Kylie Cafiero, (202) 547-2900 kcafiero@osia.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - February
4, 2005
As
reported earlier this week, the Order Sons
of Italy in America (OSIA) has issued a strong
protest of the Jan. 20 jury verdict that acquitted
eight political activists, who disrupted the
2004 Columbus Day parade in Denver.
The Native
American activists in Colorado now are lobbying
the state and city governments to change
Columbus Day to "All Nations Day."
To counter this, OSIA
is urging all its members as well as concerned
individuals and organizations nationally to
join its letter writing campaign to inform
elected officials in Colorado that Italian
Americans nationwide do not support such legislation.
Please
join OSIA in requesting that the name of
this federal holiday remain "Columbus
Day" in Denver, Colorado.
The mayor is actively pursuing adding Denver to the
list of popular vacation and business destinations. Include in your letter that
you and/or your organization will not visit, conduct business or hold its convention
in a city that does not recognize Columbus Day.
OSIA encourages you to get this
message to family members, friends, colleagues and members of Italian American
groups, particularly those who do not have access to email.
Include some facts about Christopher Columbus (See link to OSIA’s report below)
and send your letter to:
Mayor
John W. Hickenlooper
Denver City and County Building
1437 Bannock
Street, Suite 350
Denver, CO 80202
Fax: (720) 865-8787
E-mail: MileHighMayor@ci.denver.co.us
For
the OSIA report, see www.osia.org at "Studies
in Culture" Columbus:
Fact vs. Fiction report.
Your
letter WILL make a difference and need only be a
few short paragraphs. Please be sure not to offend
any other ethnic groups or organizations to make
your point.
Established in 1905, OSIA has more than
600,000 members and supporters and a network of 700
chapters coast to coast.
OSIA works at the community,
national and international levels to promote the heritage
and culture of an estimated 26 million Italian Americans,
the nation’s fifth largest ethnic group, according
to the U.S. Census Bureau. To learn more, visit OSIA
on the Web at www.osia.org.
The Commission for Social
Justice (CSJ) is the anti-defamation arm of OSIA.
The CSJ fights the stereotyping of Italian Americans
by the U.S. entertainment, advertising, and media industries.
It also promotes the achievements and contributions
of Italian Americans to the U.S. through research and
public education programs.
Back to top
|
