Columbus Day

Controversial and misrepresented like everything else. As an Italian-American and soon to be dual citizen, this holiday has a special purpose for me. To see the "Twitter Scholars" post and debate is laughable considering it is coming from legitimate idiots that "think" they are intelligent because of a podcast, spending $150k for some garbage degree, or reposting a meme they saw on another thread. 

Let's establish one thing: Italians do not look at Columbus as a Christ-figure because he isn't. He was an explorer who somehow took a paper map and sailed thousands of miles with no knowledge or another part of the world. Atrocities included, it gave birth to the Western World as we know it. I am not debating the benefits and negatives but it is important to understand the context of 1492.

Now, this leads us to Columbus Day. This holiday is meant to celebrate ITALIAN-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS to America. Italians until the 1970's were the lowest "white" social-economic group in terms of average income and financial standing. Italians were the largest lynching in the United States. Italians were thrown into concentration camps during WW2 when accused of being spies (not nearly as much as Japanese-Americans of course but it happened). Italians received the electric chair, fought mafia stereotypes, and have seen their struggles as immigrants and foreigners thrown aside given we have assimilated into American society.

Columbus Day means being proud of my roots and my family's impact on America. It means getting to see Italians on TV and in the Media as a normal occurrence, something 1930's and 1940's America was not like. It means eating and celebrating your heritage both the good and the bad. Columbus isn't mentioned once, but Italian culture continues to thrive and be celebrated. The day celebrates the hard work my grandparents put in to "fit in" to America without losing the value of family along the day. The day celebrates them.

Columbus Day celebrates this above and always will. To see our one day thrown aside for "Indigenous People Day" is insulting. Indigenous People can (and should) get a different day (they have a whole month I believe now that I am typing) so leave the one day we get alone. Italians impact on America is worth more than a shared day. 

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