Proposed Smithsonian Italian American Museum Rallies National Support as US House Weighs Legislation

The bipartisan bill — introduced this week by U.S. Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Michael Rulli (R-OH) — would establish a planning commission to explore the feasibility of developing the world-class museum in the heart of Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As it stands, 120 cultural and nonprofit groups across the U.S. are rallying support for the creation of a Smithsonian museum of Italian American history in the nation's capital.

Leaders and members of the Italian American Congressional Caucus, in collaboration with the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), spearheaded H.R. 1102, a bipartisan bill that, if passed, would create a commission to weigh the feasibility of funding, developing and operating the museum on Washington's National Mall.

This commission would consist of experts in museum planning and the American immigrant experience, following a process modeled after similar initiatives that led to national museums honoring other ethnic communities.

"My father was born in Ruvo del Monte, Italy, and immigrated to the United States as a child," said Suozzi, who's co-leading the bill alongside Rep. Michael Rulli. "Here, he served as a B-24 navigator in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He came home from the war and attended Harvard Law School on the G.I. bill. At 28 years old, he was elected City Court Judge in our hometown of Glen Cove, the youngest judge in the history of New York State. His story, and the story of so many other Italian Americans of his generation, embodies the American dream and fulfills the very promise of this country. These stories deserve a platform to be told."

Advocacy efforts are already underway, as Italian Americans across the country reach out to their respective U.S. House reps to voice their support for the bill. 

"COPOMIAO's Museum and Cultural Affairs Committee pitched me the plan in 2024, and it was brilliant," said COPOMIAO President Basil Russo. "This prestigious historical initiative is part of our broader, dynamic movement, which includes the illumination of our heritage in Hollywood, the elevation of our younger generations and the preservation of our monuments and holidays."

ABOUT COPOMIAO

Based in NYC, COPOMIAO is an Italian American collective of 71 of the most influential, cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups in the U.S. Contact us.

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SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations