Opinion | Celia Viggo Wexler: Columbus Day is not a holiday the U.S. — and Italian Americans — should celebrate. - NBCNewsTHINK
So why should we keep referring to Columbus as an Italian hero? History already is moving us to a better place. Indigenous Peoples’ DayI’m not the only Italian American on board with ditching the holiday. Last month,testified before Massachusetts state legislators and urged them to replace the Columbus Day holiday.
Tellingly, the holiday’s defenders don’t even appear to acknowledge Columbus’ record of atrocities. Ignoring all the historical documents that show otherwise,, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, continues to portray Columbus as a “good Christian” who treated Indigenous peoples “with respect and compassion.”
It’s difficult to give up the myths that shaped the Italian story in the Americas. But these myths are holding us back. They’re preventing us from creating a more honest Italian narrative, one that shines a light on the lives of our immigrant parents and grandparents and their heroism, and gives us better ways to celebrate our heritage.
If I were to nominate a new role model for Italians, it would be Mother Frances Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who in 1946 became the first U.S. citizen to be named a saint. Cabrini, like many immigrants, faced many obstacles and a lack of resources when she arrived, but persevered to help immigrants across the country.
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