On October 9, the Trump administration published a proclamation offering a revisionist history of Christopher Columbus. Full of nationalist ideology rather than fact, the proclamation infuriatingly aims to suppress history. What I believe is worse is how it has forgotten why we have Columbus Day, and how irrelevant Columbus himself is to Italian Americans.
I argue that Columbus Day has never been, is not, and will never be about Columbus himself. A day should not be named after him, but the core reason behind the creation of the day is important and enduring. If we must name it after anyone, there are better Italians and Italian Americans to choose from.
What the Administration Gets Wrong About Columbus
The proclamation states Columbus was “one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth,” as if to deify and protect him from “left-wing arsonists.” At no point does Columbus need left-wing arsonists to disrupt his legacy. He did it himself.
His diaries show that he miscalculated the true size of the Earth’s circumference and lied about his westward maritime route calculations to secure Spanish sponsorship for the voyage. No record — prior to the origin of Columbus Day — describes Columbus as anything other than an average person with an average knowledge of sailing.
The proclamation goes on to say that he was guided by a “noble mission: to discover a new trade route to Asia, bring glory to Spain, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to distant lands.” He wrote himself that he was driven by a desire for personal wealth and prestige through his voyages. He was also particularly eager to enslave the people he encountered, even when Queen Isabella of Spain, his beneficiary, was horrified by these suggestions.
One thing that the proclamation gets right is that Columbus never found North America. Nor are the Americas named after him. Until 1507, it was believed that Columbus had discovered a little-known part of Asia, not the New World.
It was Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who originally dubbed the Western Hemisphere “Mundus Novus,” or New World. His purpose was different: he sought to map the earth and the sky and document new species as he went. It was in 1507 that “the Americas” were used by mapmakers to describe the New World lands that Vespucci had explored. However, neither man was the first to arrive — Indigenous Peoples had been caretakers of the New World for countless generations.
What Columbus Day is Really About
Columbus Day came about during a period of vitriolic racism against Italian Americans. Specifically, it was promoted by the Benjamin Harris administration (it was previously an informal holiday celebrated by American Catholic societies of all types) in 1892 following the brutal mob lynching of 11 Italian Americans after they were acquitted of all charges in the murder of New Orleans police chief, David Hennessy.
Their names are: James Caruso, Antonio Bagnetto, Loreto Comitis, Rocco Geraci, Joseph Macheca, Antonio Marchesi, Pietro Monasterio, Emmanuele Polizzi, Frank Romero, Antonio Scaffidi, and Charles Traina. Those who organized the lynching were set free after being arrested.
Two days after, the New York Times wrote: “These sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, who have transported to this country the lawless passions … are to us a pest without mitigations … lynch law was the only course open to the people of New Orleans…” The paper continued to publish similar editorials in support.
The Italian government demanded justice, and Columbus Day was proclaimed soon after as both an olive branch from the United States and as a federal recognition of the moral merits of Italian Americans. Though not directly relevant to Italian Americans before, it has been tied to them ever since.
Alternatives and the Future
Columbus is not necessary for a namesake holiday to remember the violence and persecution of Italian Americans. If you’re looking for alternative heroes that actually represent our values, here is an itemized list for beginners:
- Amerigo Vespucci, explorer and namesake of the Americas.
- Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American Catholic Saint, pioneer of Italian American civil rights, canonized as the Patronness of Immigrants.
- Col. Henry Andrews Mucci, World War II hero of the U.S. Army Rangers who rescued prisoners from death camps. His bravery despite being outnumbered is notable.
- Arturo Giovannitti, anti-fascist U.S. textile union leader, made famous for his organization efforts and imprisonment, during which he became a notable poet.
- Rocky Marciano, undefeated heavyweight boxing champion whose struggles through the impoverishment of Italian immigration became the inspiration for Rocky Balboa.
More importantly, every Italian American really finds significance not in these figures but in the incredible labor and sacrifice of their ancestors to chart a new life in the New World. I think of my ancestors from Rome and Sicily and their incredible work to not only start a new life and family here, but to build a community that would shape this country forever.
Beyond all this, Columbus inspired the dispossession and persecution of Indigenous Peoples’ after writing the playbook for it in his diaries. Recognition of their suffering at his and his successors’ hands is not woke revisionism — it’s from his own bragging about it. I envision a future where Italian Americans and indigenous people can celebrate their heritage and conduct their reverent remembrance in dignified and unashamed ways, independent of a grim backdrop.
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Paul Caruso is an Opinion Columnist and a second year MPA student in the Brooks School of Public Policy and the Founder of the Cornell Negotiation Student Society. His column, Caruso's Compass, focuses on politics, international affairs, and campus life. The column seeks to identify issues with the status quo and provide solutions to them. He can be reached at pcaruso@cornellsun.com.
