So here's my theory why this is always going to be a fight and controversial:
Columbus was chosen as a mascot for Italian Americans as a symbol for Italian American contributions to our country. I fully understand that he has been revealed to be a *really* bad mascot for more reasons than I can articulate here – but the celebration of Columbus Day was in a large part a matter of easing ethnic tensions against Italian Americans, especially in the wake of the 1891 Louisiana Lynchings. So – by extension – attacks against Columbus statues are hard not to feel as attacks against Italian Americans *to* Italian Americans.
Native Americans see him as a symbol of colonialism, and therefore a symbol of oppression. It makes absolutely perfect sense that they are angry at the person who was Christopher Columbus, his effigies, and see him as a threat against Native Americans.
The problem is that both groups tend to only see these issues in parallel, and never the twain shall meet.
I'd rather see Columbus replaced by Enrico Fermi – someone actually worthy of respect, as well as being an actual Italian American virtually anyone can look up to – and I'd also like to see the profile of prominent Native Americans be raised with more official observances and monuments as well.
Sigan on November 12nd, 2021 at 19:51 UTC »
Apparently the natives had sneakers! Neat!
electricfoxx on November 13rd, 2021 at 02:09 UTC »
Early America was not the multicultural utopia people claim it to be.
AramaicDesigns on November 13rd, 2021 at 02:29 UTC »
So here's my theory why this is always going to be a fight and controversial:
Columbus was chosen as a mascot for Italian Americans as a symbol for Italian American contributions to our country. I fully understand that he has been revealed to be a *really* bad mascot for more reasons than I can articulate here – but the celebration of Columbus Day was in a large part a matter of easing ethnic tensions against Italian Americans, especially in the wake of the 1891 Louisiana Lynchings. So – by extension – attacks against Columbus statues are hard not to feel as attacks against Italian Americans *to* Italian Americans.
Native Americans see him as a symbol of colonialism, and therefore a symbol of oppression. It makes absolutely perfect sense that they are angry at the person who was Christopher Columbus, his effigies, and see him as a threat against Native Americans.
The problem is that both groups tend to only see these issues in parallel, and never the twain shall meet.
I'd rather see Columbus replaced by Enrico Fermi – someone actually worthy of respect, as well as being an actual Italian American virtually anyone can look up to – and I'd also like to see the profile of prominent Native Americans be raised with more official observances and monuments as well.