HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-22 Item 08-Sardina
XsjuufoDpnnvojdbujpot$9.Tbsejob
To: City of Chula Vista City Council
From: Grace Sardina, Treasurer, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America
th
Date: September 13, 2020
Subject: Christopher Columbus Statue
Dear Council Members,
We are very kindly requesting you to please add the status of the Christopher Columbus statue to
your agenda. Since the statue was donated to the city, we are hoping to open negotiations for the
donation of the statue to be given to the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America.
The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America is the largest and oldest national organization
for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States. We represent the estimated 17
million Americans of Italian heritage, dedicated to promoting our culture, our traditions, our
language, the legacy of our ancestors, and our contributions to the U.S. and the world. We are
sons and daughters, grandmothers and grandfathers. We are corporate executives and we are
philanthropists and we are model global citizens with purpose beyond ourselves. And we are
proud and patriotic Americans of Italian heritage. Our national headquarters is in Washington,
D.C., near Capitol Hill and have two lodges here in San Diego county that are more than happy
to assist in finding an appropriate home for the statue. We do not wish for our statue of pride to
be in a place where the community lacks the understanding of its meaning and purpose.
Columbus Day originated as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. The statue holds great
value and meaning to our culture and community in San Diego. Please let us know what we can
do to help and peacefully resolve the situation. We do not want to see a piece of Italian
American history sit in storage or get thrown out and forgotten.
Thank you,
Grace Sardina
Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America
Fratellanza Garibaldina Lodge #1627
Treasurer