May 2025 Newsletter

ARTICLE: The President Reaffirms His Support for Columbus Day

Above: The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), a nonpartisan cultural nonprofit, stands behind President Trump’s order to restore Columbus Day’s prominence as the nation’s only federally recognized holiday on October 13. Source: https://copomiao.org/2025/04/28/italian-american-leaders-applaud-president-trumps-support-for-columbus-day/

From AP News:

President Donald Trump made clear Sunday that he would not follow his predecessor’s practice of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day in October, accusing Democrats of denigrating the explorer’s legacy as he pressed his campaign to restore what he argues are traditional American icons.

Democrat Joe Biden was the first president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, issuing a proclamation in 2021 that celebrated “the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples” and recognize “their inherent sovereignty.”

The proclamation noted that America “was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people” but that promise “we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began.”

Continue Reading on APNews

ARTICLE: Biography of Pope Leo XIV

Above: Pope Leo XVI appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica

From the Vatican News:

Prior to his election as Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Here is the biography of the 267th Bishop of Rome.

The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff - after Pope Francis - from the Americas. Unlike Jorge Mario Bergoglio, however, the 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost is from the northern part of the continent, though he spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

Continue Reading on Vatican News

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In the month of April we gained 18 new members! The Board of Directors at Friends of Italian Americans thank you for your support and look forward to the remainder of the year. Stay tuned into our newsletter as we have some exciting events and partnerships planned for the remainder of 2025!

-Friends of Italian Americans