Columbus Day 2014: Hero, Villain or Both?

iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Sailor-explorer Christopher Columbus didn’t exactly “discover” America, but the Italian explorer raised and solidified European awareness of the Americas after arriving Oct. 12, 1492, in what would become known as the Bahamas. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937.

Centuries after Columbus traveled to the Americas, his legacy remains complicated. And that’s where the Columbus Day debate continues, including periodic calls to dump the holiday, or modify it to something like “Exploration Day.”

Native-American or Indigenous People’s Day
The United States is hardly alone in celebrating Columbus Day, but even here it’s not unanimous.
South Dakota, for instance, clearly falls on the other side of the debate, after 25 years ago changing the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Native American Day in honor of the indigenous people who suffered near-annihilation after Columbus opened doors to the New World.
Minneapolis had the same thing in mind in April when it voted to rename the holiday Indigenous People’s Day, as did Seattle two weeks ago.

Italian Heritage
Many Italian-Americans defend Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and the generations of Italians who’ve contributed mightily to U.S. prominence through their work and philanthropy. Of that there’s no doubt, although critics, including some Italian-Americans themselves, have pointed out that the Oct. 12, 1492, arrival itself is no representation of the Italian experience. Supporters claim him as a source of pride, however, not unlike other cultures that honor their sons and daughters as pioneers.

Colonialism
Columbus is an obvious target of scorn and resentment for Native Americans whose fortunes declined precipitously in the aftermath of his journey to the New World. He and his men also brutalized people of the West Indies and enslaved others. Columbus supporters don’t deny the mixed legacy, but some of them point out that the national holiday is rooted in the notion that it should serve as an opportunity to bring Italian-Americans, Native-Americans and others together.

Columbus, USA
There are 30-plus U.S. cities and townships named Columbus, and apparently little push to rename any of them, suggesting that the debate has long been settled for some people with the closest association to the explorer.

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