3 ms·
It was established as a way to include Italian-Americans in the national creation myth, at a time when xenophobia against Italian immigrants was still high in t
by neartheplain 6y ago
It was established as a way to include Italian-Americans in the national creation myth, at a time when xenophobia against Italian immigrants was still high in the US. Many Italian-Americans still feel strongly about it:
https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/769688161/columbus-days-meaning-for-italian-americans https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/769688161/columbus-days-meani...
Unfortunately, proposals to eliminate Columbus Day and tear down statues of Columbus don’t typically include concessions for Italian-American pride. This has led to some friction:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/floyd-protest-columbus-statue-protesters-unrest-philadelphia-police-20200614.html https://www.inquirer.com/news/floyd-protest-columbus-statue-...
- earthscienceman 6y agoWell, fortunately for Italian Americans they're no longer in the same position they were when this was put into place. This is great news, and it means we can move forward with eliminating Columbus Day and replacing it with Indigenous People's Day to prompt recognition of the xenophobia and discrimination that those people face to this day.
- gshubert17 6y agoColorado was able to remove Columbus Day as a state holiday by creating a new holiday honoring another Italian-American, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), effective in 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/us/colorado-columbus-day-cabrini-day-trnd/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/us/colorado-columbus-day-cabr...
- TedDoesntTalk 6y agoI don’t want statues of Columbus torn down. Leave them up and erect new ones for the people you want to honor. It’s not a zero-sum.