A bipartisan bill, introduced by U.S. Representatives Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Michael Rulli (R-OH), proposes a planning commission to assess the feasibility of a Smithsonian Italian American Museum in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2025 — Over 120 American cultural and non-profit organizations are supporting the establishment of a Smithsonian museum dedicated to Italian American history in the nation’s capital.

The Italian American Congressional Caucus, working with the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), championed a bipartisan bill to create a commission. This commission would determine the feasibility of funding, developing, and operating a museum on the National Mall.

This commission would include experts in museum development and the American immigrant experience, using a model similar to other national museums representing ethnic communities.

“My father, born in Ruvo del Monte, Italy, immigrated to the United States as a child,” explained Suozzi, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Michael Rulli. “He served as a B-24 navigator, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he attended Harvard Law School and, at 28, became the youngest judge in New York State history. His story, and those of many Italian Americans, embodies the American dream. These stories deserve to be shared.”

Italian Americans nationwide are contacting their representatives to support the bill.

“COPOMIAO’s Museum and Cultural Affairs Committee presented this plan in 2024, and it was excellent,” stated COPOMIAO President Basil Russo. “This initiative is part of a broader movement encompassing the promotion of our heritage in Hollywood, engagement with younger generations, and the preservation of our monuments and holidays.”

ABOUT COPOMIAO

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

SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations

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