Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #435

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Christopher Columbus was a much needed bea- con of hope for early Italian- Americans. More than 4 million Italian migrants came to the U.S. in the late 19th centu- ry seeking money, employment, and new life, and were often met with sus- picion and hostility. Many in the U.S. claimed that Italians were a lower, more barbar- ic "race" and should be denied citizenship. Eventually, Italian- American commu- nities began to develop ways to honor their heritage by celebrating old world traditions and great Italian inno- vators, such as famed explorer Christopher Columbus. Columbus's achievement was an inspiration to these oppressed enclaves, and throwing a festival in honor of his achievements helped them remember Italian greatness and keep their pride alive during hard- ship and discrimi- nation.
Columbus was not only a skilled mariner and brave explorer, but "a man of deep faith," according to Dr. Carey Roberts, History Chair at Liberty University. Even in his final years, he "hoped to
expand the ministry of the Gospel to the New World." In spite of the limited knowledge, flaws, and failures of Christopher Columbus, it's no wonder that such a figure would bring hope and inspira- tion to so many.
Colorado was the first state to official- ly recognize Columbus Day as a state holiday! In 1905, the Governor declared that Columbus Day was to be:
"A day upon which may be gratefully recognized the patriotic Americanism of the Colorado Italians whose generosity prompts them to present to the state an emblem of appreciation of the services to
mankind of one of their countrymen, and a material evi- dence of the good citizenship of those Americans who belong to the same race as he did."
Columbus Day was made an official holiday at the fed- eral level in 1937, while the most longstanding annu- al celebration is the Columbus Day Parade in San Francisco, which has been thrown yearly since 1868.
The holiday on the second Monday of every October may be a United States event, but Columbus is cele- brated by many other countries around the world. Various Latin American nations recognize Dia de la Raza, commemo-
rating the meeting of European and Native American culture. Venezuela, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean islands have cele- brated Columbus's legacy in an official capacity for many decades, many of which in recent years have evolved into celebrations of national heroes and cultural pride. Spain includes Columbus in its celebration of "National Day," Italy has celebrated his voyages since the 18th century, and Columbia? Well, one guess as to who inspired that country’s name!
For as often as we've heard that "Columbus discov- ered America," we all know by now that that isn't true. According to Dr.
Roberts, "Archeological evi- dence seems to now point to African and Europeans inhabit- ing some parts of the Americas even before the arrival of the ancestors of Native Americans." After that came Vikings from Europe and fisher- men from the Iberian peninsula. The most famous Viking to make it to North American soil was Leif Erickson, Norse explorer who founded a settle- ment in present- day Canada. Erickson, while much less promi- nent in popular cul- ture than Columbus, has his own holiday on October 9th, first instituted at the federal level in 1964.
Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, and South Dakota do not rec- ognize or celebrate Columbus Day. Instead, Hawaii instituted Discoverers’ Day "in recognition of the Polynesian dis- coverers of the Hawaiian Islands" and Native American Day is celebrated by South Dakota in lieu of Columbus Day.
In fact, with every passing year it seems more and more objections are raised against a holiday celebrat- ing a man who apparently brought even more death, destruction, and slavery to the already turbulent indigenous popula- tions of the West Indies. Berkley, California started celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992, and many cities, including Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Seattle, have since followed suit.
Rachael Stoeve at Yes! magazine writes, "The reimagining of Columbus Day is an opportunity to understand the his- tory and legacy of colonialism, honor the cultures and lives of First Nations peoples, and move forward in the struggle to end oppression."
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