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“That’s amore!” New Yorkers flock to the streets in celebration of Italian heritage during the 77th Columbus Day parade in Manhattan on Oct. 11.
The Italian flag’s green, white and red colors, also known as the il Tricolore, were flown along Fifth Avenue from 45th to 72nd Streets, as spectators watched one of the largest in-person marches to bestow the streets of New York since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Reporter’s Notebook: Celebrating Italian Americans without celebrating Columbus
https://www.amny.com/nation/reporter...ting-columbus/
I’m old enough to remember my days as a kindergartener in Queens learning a version of Christopher Columbus’ story and singing the famous rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
As an Italian American on my mother’s side, I was also taught to be proud of our common heritage — and I am. For many years, that included considering Columbus as the explorer who discovered America.
But over the last four decades, the story of Columbus has become much darker and sinister. He’s no longer seen through that grade school lens of being a great man who “sailed the ocean blue,” found the New World and helped set the stage for the birth of America.
We’ve come to learn that Columbus was an exploiter of indigenous people in Hispaniola, capturing natives and either enslaving or slaughtering them. These are indefensible crimes against humanity that went without recognition for too long.
It’s no longer a dark family secret in the story of our country’s history that most wouldn’t dare tell kindergarteners because it would traumatize them.
Yet it is also a secret that some would rather just forget. They’d rather Columbus be celebrated in a positive light without acknowledging his evil actions.
But whitewashing history is akin to asking someone to drink a glass of Gowanus Canal water after it had been poured through a Brita filter. It may be more potable, but it no less leaves a filthy taste in one’s mouth — and exposes them to other harms unseen to the naked eye.
We conveniently forget that we don’t have to celebrate Columbus. We have greater Italians who deserve the recognition of a holiday doubling as a celebration of Italian culture and heritage.
Will Jeff Bezo be looked at the same way in few decades I wonder for profiting off others and becoming the richest man.
Top 1% now has more wealth than all of middle class of USA. And it’s been a slow train coming.
America would have been discovered by someone at some point. Be glad it wasn’t China. We’d be all speaking Chinese now.
As for native Americans, let’s be real here, they were light years behind in development, what happened would have happened either way. Not saying that it wasn’t horrible, but natures law speaks, the strong eat the weak.
In the city colonists built on Lenape land centuries ago, the number of Native Americans is on the rise, new census figures show as New York celebrates the first official Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
In the five boroughs of New York City, some 180,866 — or 2% — identify as “American Indian or Alaska Native” alone or in a combination of races in a city of 8.8 million, according to the 2020 Census. That’s up from 1.3% in 2010, when the decennial census tallied 111,749 of 8.1 million people.
Demographers warn that such small numbers are prone to errors, such as Americans with personal or family origins in India checking the box. Still, the numbers bolstered Native American New Yorkers who say they simply want others to know they exist.
“The native communities in New York City are here and they’re thriving, yet the lack of visibility has really...contributed to the lack of resources,” said Sutton King, co-founder and president of Urban Indigenous Collective, a nonprofit helping native communities.
I’m curious how people feel about Columbus Day being turned into Indigenous Day by President Biden?
I think it’s stupid for a number of reasons:
Everyone is Indigenous to somewhere, even if they are space aliens.
If this was an attempt to honor Native Americans, shouldn’t the National Tribal Council been consulted regarding if such a day was wanted, what to call the day, and what date was preferred?
In New York, Columbus Day is also considered Italian Heritage Day. Does President Biden dislike Italian-Americans now? Will our local politicians get on board to pop Italian Americans up side the head by eliminating their Heritage Day?
I’m curious how people feel about Columbus Day being turned into Indigenous Day by President Biden?
I think it’s stupid for a number of reasons:
Everyone is Indigenous to somewhere, even if they are space aliens.
If this was an attempt to honor Native Americans, shouldn’t the National Tribal Council been consulted regarding if such a day was wanted, what to call the day, and what date was preferred?
In New York, Columbus Day is also considered Italian Heritage Day. Does President Biden dislike Italian-Americans now? Will our local politicians get on board to pop Italian Americans up side the head by eliminating their Heritage Day?
In my household, it's Columbus Day... Punto e basta! Alla patria!
Glad to see the Columbus Day Parade back Indigenous People Day seemed so much a stretch. I don't like that name. Italian-Americans need their day too. Stop with all the "woke" culture. It seems phony and a lot of BS.
I agree. I’m not against a day honoring the original people of the lands of the United States, but I don’t understand unseating one culture to put another in its place.
I have known numerous Native Americans from different tribes and I’ve never heard any of them lump themselves together under the name ‘indigenous. I’ve heard pseudo-Indians use the descriptive as a name but most Elders I have had the honor of meeting would rather call a collective group of tribes ‘In Den People’ (phonetically). Most tribes names for themselves, that very few non-Indian are even aware of, mean something closer to Real or Original People.
All of us have heard of the Cherokee, but that is not a name they called themselves.
I can see people who did not live a Native American tribal life being happy with the term Indigenous, but it dilutes who those tribes are to this country and its history.
Which brings us to the National Tribal Council. Most tribes I know are very much into their own Sovereignty. Did anyone ask the National Tribal Council for their input? I mean, wouldn’t it be rude not to present the idea and ask for feedback and input on it?
Personally, I would be happier to see a National Tribal Council Day if it came to that than the heavily diluted Indigenous People Day. But that’s just one opinion.
Last edited by ComeCloser; 10-11-2021 at 09:05 PM..
Remember when the President went against the Italian mob and it didn’t work out that well ?
Times changed I guess.
I don't remember that when was it?
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Alla patria! 
Columbus Day
