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As some awesome folks are tumbling down statues and some terrible people are protecting said statues, we need to have a little chat about Christopher Columbus.
Specifically, I mean we need to talk about Italian-Americans and our relationship to Christopher Columbus.
Specifically, I mean we need to talk about Italian-Americans and our relationship to Christopher Columbus.
I grew up in East Boston, a working class neighborhood that is predominantly Italian-American.
East Boston shares the annual Columbus Day Parade with the North End, Boston's better known Italian-American neighborhood.
I grew up going to the parade in Eastie every other year.
East Boston shares the annual Columbus Day Parade with the North End, Boston's better known Italian-American neighborhood.
I grew up going to the parade in Eastie every other year.
If you Google said parade, the website will tell you outright that it is "a celebration of Boston's Italian heritage."
Because Columbus Day isn't REALLY about Columbus (although his "expeditions to the Americas" – such kind language! – is later noted on the site, too).
Because Columbus Day isn't REALLY about Columbus (although his "expeditions to the Americas" – such kind language! – is later noted on the site, too).
Columbus Day – and the celebrations therein – is, essentially, for Italian-Americans, Italian-American Heritage Day.
Let's look at how the fuck that happened.
Let's look at how the fuck that happened.
In 1891 New Orleans, a mob of people lynched 11 Italian immigrants for their alleged role in the murder of the city police chief (!!).
As a way to placate outrage from the Italian community, President Harrison in 1892 declared a one-time Columbus Day celebration.
As a way to placate outrage from the Italian community, President Harrison in 1892 declared a one-time Columbus Day celebration.
Why Columbus?
Well, to start, he was Italian. But also: He represented an Americanism (
) the government could get behind.
At a time when Italian immigrants were viewed as anti-American, this was a sneaky way to combine Italian heritage with American patriotism.
Well, to start, he was Italian. But also: He represented an Americanism (
) the government could get behind.At a time when Italian immigrants were viewed as anti-American, this was a sneaky way to combine Italian heritage with American patriotism.
But the salute to Italian contributions to American culture stuck. And for the next 75+ years, Italian-Americans lobbied to put Columbus Day on the calendar.
In 1968, it became a federal holiday.
In 1968, it became a federal holiday.
It's all a bit more complicated than this, but I only have so much room, so please forgive the super brief historical background.
The point is: Italian-Americans lobbied for Columbus Day for a really long fucking time for government recognition of our contributions to the US.
The point is: Italian-Americans lobbied for Columbus Day for a really long fucking time for government recognition of our contributions to the US.
And it's no coincidence that this national lobbying started *after* World War I, when Italian-American soldiers ~proved~ Italian immigrant families' allegiance to the US by fighting against Italy and Mussolini.
But that's a whole other history lesson tbh.
But that's a whole other history lesson tbh.
The idea is: Italian-Americans wanted to be recognized. They chose Columbus Day as an avenue because there was already precedence. Boom, we get the holiday. And now, we become fucking obsessed with Columbus Day because we associate it with ethnic pride.
Flash forward to now, and who is the group most likely to put up a huge fight against abolishing Columbus Day, and against the removal of statues of Columbus?
Us.
It's us.
It's Italian-Americans.
We are the biggest roadblock to these important changes.
Us.
It's us.
It's Italian-Americans.
We are the biggest roadblock to these important changes.
And I get it: We have projected all of our ethnic pride onto a symbol, and now we have a really hard time letting that go.
For many of us, the celebration of Italian-American heritage is *one and the same* as celebrating Christopher Columbus.
But that's... honestly ridiculous.
For many of us, the celebration of Italian-American heritage is *one and the same* as celebrating Christopher Columbus.
But that's... honestly ridiculous.
NOT ONLY are there far more amazing, revolutionary Italian-Americans that we could have a day named after (who wants to lobby with me for Sacco & Vanzetti Day?), BUT ALSO tying our identity to a pillaging, raping murderer seems like something we WOULDN'T want???
Italian-Americans should feel ashamed to be associated with Christopher Columbus, not proud.
I, for one, am appalled that we fight so hard to remain connected to someone who is a *blight* on our ethnic history.
I, for one, am appalled that we fight so hard to remain connected to someone who is a *blight* on our ethnic history.
Italian-Americans should want to tear down statues of Christopher Columbus, too!
Mostly because we should be working in solidarity with Indigenous people not to celebrate a colonizer.
AND ALSO because we should want better representation of our culture than that!
Mostly because we should be working in solidarity with Indigenous people not to celebrate a colonizer.
AND ALSO because we should want better representation of our culture than that!
Instead, where I now live in South Philadelphia (a predominantly Italian-American, working class neighborhood), we have Italian-Americans surrounding the Marconi Plaza statue of Columbus *with baseball bats* to protect it from being tumbled.
To start with: Imagine it being June 2020 and, of all the things to be angry about, being most outraged about the destruction of statues.
But also: As a community, we need to better understand our relationship to Christopher Columbus – and seriously interrogate and challenge it.
But also: As a community, we need to better understand our relationship to Christopher Columbus – and seriously interrogate and challenge it.
Christopher Columbus is not the symbol of Italian-Americanism that I want.
Tear the fucker down.
Tear the fucker down.
