Controversy over Christopher Columbus Day in the US
(Baonghean) - Many cities in the US have decided not to celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America as is traditional, but instead to honor the indigenous people, the victims of this event.
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| Americans take to the streets to celebrate Christopher Columbus Day. Photo: Reuters |
This year, many major cities such as San Francisco, Cincinnati, Seattle, Phoenix, Los Angeles and the states of Minnesota, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Vermont, and Oregon in the US have decided not to celebrate Christopher Columbus Day but instead celebrate indigenous people.
Traditionally, Christopher Columbus Day is the day to commemorate Columbus' discovery of America and is celebrated on the second Monday of October.
The holiday was first celebrated by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 and became a national holiday in 1934 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
However, many people see the celebration of Christopher Columbus Day as a reminder of the mass genocide of Native Americans and the colonization of the continent. Therefore, many places have chosen to replace the above holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day.
Mayor Joe Curtatone of Somerville, Massachusetts, one of the cities that does not celebrate Christopher Columbus Day, wrote on Facebook that Christopher Columbus Day is evidence of an outdated version of history.
Mr. Curtatone announced that from now on, the city of Somerville will honor this day as a day of ancient values, before Christopher Columbus' expedition discovered America in 1492.
In Columbus, Ohio, the city named after the Italian explorer, there is also controversy surrounding this holiday. However, people are arguing not for the above reasons but for economic reasons.
Columbus city officials then decided to focus Veterans Day on November 12 because the city is home to thousands of veterans.
“The past is the past,” said Tyrone Smith, director of the Ohio Native American Center. “It wasn’t always pretty, but we can’t blame our current society for the actions of the past.”
It is known that in 1992, the city of Columbus spent 95 million USD to organize Christopher Columbus Day to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the "New World".
Despite the controversy surrounding the holiday, Christopher Columbus Day continues to be celebrated with great fanfare in many major American cities.
In a tweet on October 8, US President Donald Trump wrote: “Christopher Columbus’s spirit of determination and adventure inspired generations of Americans. On this day, we honor his remarkable achievements as a pioneer and we celebrate his journey to the vast unknown of the Atlantic Ocean.”