Christopher Columbus Needs Your Help

Columbus Statue - New Haven, CT

For years, we at ItalianAware have been sounding the alarm over the ever increasing attacks against Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day. For years, we've been telling you that the man (and his holiday) were at serious risk of being erased from the history books. All of those warnings fell on deaf ears. And here we are: New York City (and its beyond hypocritical mayor) have zeroed in on Columbus as a potential “Symbol of Hate.” The feckless mayor has decided to impanel a review board to determine what constitutes a symbol of hate – and Columbus is A#1 on their chopping block. If the panel (an unelected body, mind you) determines that Columbus is a "Symbol of Hate" (whatever that means), his statue will be torn down.

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Pictured: A Hypocrite at the Columbus Day Parade

Why is Columbus a target of their scorn? Because some like to paint him as a lunatic that killed and enslaved people for fun. We've addressed these concerns, at length, in the past. They are either baseless or complete hyperbole. Columbus was not a predator; he was a product of his time. It is wrong, on every conceivable level, to look at historical figures through the prism of modern day morality and values.  Caribbean activists claim that Columbus (and Columbus alone) killed and destroyed whole populations of people throughout the Caribbean and Americas. That level of destruction is impossible for one man to perpetrate on his own. The more likely explanation for it was the systemic colonization and settlement of the Caribbean by people from every region of the world, across multiple generations. Again, the times affected the people and their actions. Societal values and mores were different. No amount of statue removal will erase that.

So, why blame Columbus? Because he was there first and he fits the narrative of an “oppressive” white male keeping native minorities down. That is as honest an answer that you will ever get. We won't play coy and dance around the elephant in the room.  The ironic part is, Columbus probably didn't consider himself “white” (that was an Anglican/Northern European construct.) He probably considered himself a Latin – being from Italy and living in Spain. The things he did, both good and bad, were motivated by social values and politics of the time – not racial superiority.

Why should you care about this attack on him? Make no mistake:Italians were persona non grata in America during their wave of immigration. We were hated for our skin color, language and religion. In the immortal words of Mario Cuomo,

“They arrived in a country hostile towards them and the streets weren't paved with gold. In fact, the streets weren't paved at all. And they were expected to pave them.”

So, to cut to the chase, we didn't have much going for us.

Somewhere along the way, the Italians formed a community to help each other survive in the New World. They all began to rally around Columbus as symbol of their identities as Italian- Americans. Over the course of time, Columbus became synonymous with the Italian American community and experience. The proof is in the pudding: “Columbian” organizations exist in all manner of professional/social associations and the Columbus Day Parade is, essentially, an Italian pride parade.

Columbus Parade Week - NYC 1892 (Learn More)

As Italians, our connections to Columbus are deeply rooted. We have been rallying around his history and his image for well over one-hundred years. Our community developed in his protective shadow. At times, he was the only welcoming, familiar face in an America that was openly hostile towards us. Columbus allowed you, your grandparents and possibly their parents to ease into their American identities. He made leaving Italy, and all they had ever known, a bit more palatable. He was always there when we needed him.

Now, in 2017, Columbus needs you. He needs you to write your local congressman. He needs you to show up at rallies and protests. He needs you to be very vocal about his possible dismissal from the landscape and history. Our relatives looked to him for help and refuge in the past. We need to return the favor. 

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