We still need Columbus Day

By Raphael Umphres-Piscitelli

In recent years there has been a large push to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day, for good reasons. If we’re solely remembering Columbus Day as the beginning of the American Project, then it is obvious why this holiday would leave a sour taste in the mouth of indigenous peoples across the Americas. However, many of us may have forgotten how Columbus Day became a holiday in the first place, and what significance it holds to the Italian American community. Perhaps Columbus Day should not be replaced, but remembered in a nuanced light.

Columbus Day was proclaimed in 1891 by president Benjamin Harrison in response to civil unrest, specifically surrounding the treatment of Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans, namely an incident in which 11 Italian Americans were lynched without cause, making it the third largest mass lynching in American History. This was such a tragedy to the Italian diaspora that the government of Italy threatened military action against the United States if justice was not sought for the victims. In a move to provide Italians in America with an olive branch, Harrison gave homage to the most famous Italian in the American Pantheon—Cristoforo Colombo, of Genoa—who first set European eyes on the western hemisphere alongside other explorers, namely Amerigo Vespucci in 1492. This move on Harrison’s behalf granted Italians legitimacy as ‘real’ Americans for the first time in History. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937, partly due to the efforts of Italian-American communities seeking recognition of their heritage. Columbus became a symbol of the Italian immigrant experience in the U.S. during a time when Italians faced significant discrimination and prejudice. The holiday was embraced as a way to honor their contributions to the development of the nation and to highlight a shared history with America.

For Italian Americans, Columbus Day has evolved into more than just a commemoration of the explorer; it was a celebration of identity, unity, and the achievements of Italians in America. Parades, festivals, and community events became integral parts of the day, bringing people together to celebrate their culture and honor their roots. And yet this holiday—cherished by so many—is equally controversial by what Columbus represents to Indigenous Communities that suffered under the boot of later explorers, encomiendas, missions, and reservations. Currently, your calendar reads both ‘Columbus Day’ and ‘Indigenous People’s Day’, and that is likely how it ought to be: recognitions of two communities who had turbulent entries into the American Experience. Neither one should be erased.