Christopher Columbus: From Historical Icon to Modern Controversy
For early Italian immigrants who faced severe discrimination, there was good reason to celebrate the Genoese-born sailor. Columbus became a powerful symbol of their American identity, and the Columbus Day holiday provided a national platform to honor their heritage and elevate their status.
Yet, as modern historians began to shed light on the brutal aspects of the explorer's legacy—particularly concerning Indigenous peoples—calls to abolish Columbus Day or replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day have ignited heated debates. These debates have transformed the annual celebration of Italian pride into a contentious battleground.
The Mythologizing of Columbus: From Protestant Icon to Italian American Symbol
Before Columbus became a symbol of Italian American identity, he was venerated in Protestant America as an adventurer and seeker of glory, paving the way for the United States' founding by European Christians. His name became ubiquitous across post-revolutionary America: in 1784, King’s College in New York was renamed Columbia College; in 1790, the nation’s capital was moved to the District of Columbia; and states like South Carolina and Ohio named their capitals Columbia and Columbus.
Columbus's heroic stature was further cemented by Washington Irving’s bestselling 1828 book, A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, which popularized the myth that Columbus alone believed the Earth was round, standing as a lone voice of reason against the Catholic Church’s medieval authorities. This romanticized portrayal reinforced society’s perception of Columbus as an extraordinary figure who overcame the geographical and religious challenges of his time.
Columbus Day: A Symbol of Italian American Inclusion
Large waves of Italian immigration to America began in the 1880s. These immigrants were notably different from the northern Europeans who had preceded them—they were often poor farmers fleeing famine in southern Italy, darker-skinned, and many spoke little to no English. The prevailing stereotypes depicted them as simple laborers and criminals, with sensationalist press fueling fears that all southern Italians were members of the Sicilian Mafia.
Discrimination Against Italians and the Search for Identity
Faced with pervasive prejudice, prominent members of the Italian American community in New York had an idea. With the country celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage in 1892, followed by the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, they saw an opportunity to elevate Italian Americans by associating themselves with the most "American" of Italian figures. They raised $20,000 and commissioned an Italian sculptor to create a statue of the explorer from the finest Italian marble.
New York City’s Parks Department initially wanted to place the statue of Columbus in a secluded corner of Harlem’s Little Italy. However, Italian American leaders convinced Tammany Hall politicians that a prominent location at the southwest corner of Central Park would guarantee Italian votes. The Columbus statue was installed on October 12, 1892, the same day President Benjamin Harrison encouraged widespread observance of Columbus’s arrival as a "pioneer of progress and enlightenment."
This statue was not just a tribute to the explorer but became a symbol of Italian immigrants’ contributions to building America and shaping its cultural and social identity.
The Campaign for a National Italian American Holiday
By 1920, four million Italian immigrants had passed through Ellis Island, constituting over 10% of America’s foreign-born population—and a significant voting bloc. Italian American labor organizations and charitable associations became essential advocates for recognizing Columbus Day. Groups like the Sons of Columbus Army in New York built relationships with state legislators eager for immigrant votes, leading state after state to declare Columbus Day an official holiday.
Starting in 1934, Congress passed a joint resolution urging every U.S. president to designate October 12 as Columbus Day, with Franklin D. Roosevelt being the first to do so. During World War II, Italian American civic groups organized nationwide Columbus Day parades to counter widespread suspicions that Italian Americans sympathized with Mussolini.
The Controversy Over Columbus
As modern historians began uncovering the myths surrounding Columbus, they painted a portrait of a flawed man who, as the short-term governor of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti), ordered the enslavement and killing of countless Indigenous Taino people. After his arrival in the West Indies and the onset of the transatlantic slave trade, Columbus and his men forced the Taino to work on plantations and in gold mining—and shipped others to Spain to be sold.
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Calls to Replace Columbus Day
Beginning in the 1970s, calls emerged to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day to commemorate the persecution and contributions of those who inhabited the continent long before Columbus arrived. Indigenous leaders and communities pointed to the lasting negative impact of Columbus’s voyages on their people. Columbus statues, including the one in Manhattan, have since become the focus of protests and demands for removal.
The Disputed Legacy of Columbus
Today, Americans from all backgrounds debate Columbus’s legacy and its impact on our world. Deep questions about national identity and historical justice have emerged, reflecting the divide over how to honor the past without ignoring its darker aspects. At the same time, Columbus Day has become a platform to rethink the values American society should celebrate.
This ongoing debate positions Columbus as a pivotal figure in discussions about balancing the celebration of historical achievements with the acknowledgment of the tragic history of Indigenous peoples. The question of how to move forward with his legacy remains an open one for American society to determine its path.