Twenty-one states have officially recognized the change from Columbus Day to
Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Around 216 cities have renamed this holiday since it was first celebrated in Berkeley, California, in 1992.
Columbus Day should be recognized to honor Italian immigrants and their contributions to American history without erasing the past.
As people, when we dishonor and distort history, not only do we lose our sense of self, but we lose a part of our nation. Columbus Day is not celebrated for a colonist who disestablished the Native Americas, but rather to honor and respect the Italian immigrants who came to this country for a better life and to fulfill the
American dream.
Christopher Columbus was a mariner from Genoa, Italy. He became a sailor at the age
of 14, learned sailing on merchant vessels, and became an accomplished navigator. Columbus noticed the strong east-flowing Atlantic currents and theorized he could travel east by going west. He gained royal backing for this mission in 1486 under the king and queen of Spain.
With this dream in mind, on August 3rd, 1492, Columbus left Spain with ninety men and three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus made four voyages to the New World in total, and as time has passed, truth has blurred into myth. There is now a belief in a man who was corrupt with greed, a man who caused genocide, and the start of European colonial horrors in the New World. Yet… how much of that is actually true?
Columbus was no saint, yet the well-being of the natives was on his mind throughout his travels. Much of the history has fallen into myth due to the constant struggle between the Spanish and the English. The tensions between these European countries caused England to rewrite and retell much of Spanish history, including the expedition of Columbus to the Americas.
Columbus Day is not only about a historical figure who changed the course of European and world history for centuries, but also a day created for the suffering Italian immigrants in the United States. The holiday was established in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison in response to the 1891 lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans. The lynching was one of the largest mass lynchings in the country’s history.
Italian immigrants were hated due to their religious differences and the rising nationalism in the USA. Columbus became a figure of great accomplishment, something these Italians needed—someone to represent them.
On the other hand, the push for Indigenous Peoples’ Day to replace Columbus Day
comes from the suffering the natives endured at the hands of Europeans, starting in 1492 when this land was discovered. I agree that there should be an Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Native Americans suffered far more than almost any other group in the United States, except perhaps African Americans, who endured slavery and cruelty, which, in some cases, is still prevalent today.
I believe that representation for Indigenous people is beyond necessary, and we need a day to celebrate and acknowledge our country’s dark times and the culture they bring with them.
However, to erase Columbus Day is to erase a part of history, a deep part of this country’s roots, a key factor in American history, and a person who changed the course of this world—for the better, in my opinion. Columbus Day should remain, not be taken from us ignorantly. We should honor our history, not erase it.
