Whereas Portugal was the first neutral nation to establish diplomatic ties with the United States; Whereas Portuguese Americans harbor a deep commitment to family and community, an enduring work ethic, and a perseverance to succeed and contribute to society; Whereas Portuguese Americans have contributed to the advancement of early American society from manning whaling ships in New England to the introduction of grape cultivation in Georgia; Whereas Portuguese Americans have been leaders in elected governmental positions; Whereas Portuguese-American political influence began early in Hawaii, and in 1894, 3 of the 18 elected delegates to the Constitutional Convention were Portuguese; Whereas, in 1979, Peter Tony Coelho of California was elected to the House of Representatives, becoming the first Portuguese American to serve in Congress; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served in the highest positions of the National Government, the most notable of whom is nuclear physicist and former Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz; Whereas Portuguese Americans are leaders in the agricultural industry in California and throughout the Nation, most notably in the dairy industry; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served in the highest levels of the educational community, the most notable being Francis Mile Rogers, who was a professor of Portuguese at Harvard University, where he chaired the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures and served as the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Whereas Portuguese Americans have served with distinction and proudly in the United States military; Whereas Portuguese Americans have made lasting contributions to American culture in various ways, such as introducing the ukulele to American music and John Philip Sousa, the March King , composing the Stars and Stripes Forever march for the United States Navy