Italians have been a foundational part of the city since at least the 1880s. Now, a group of members of the Board of Alders is proposing an official recognition of that history with an Italian Heritage Day to be held on the second Monday of October.

Six alders submitted a resolution calling for that date, currently recognized as Columbus Day, to be known as Italian Heritage Day. The board will refer the proposal to a committee. “Such an observance of an Italian Heritage Day will be inclusive of all members of the community and reaffirm the importance of celebrating a part of New Haven’s beautiful mosaic of cultural identities,” the resolution says.