The Debate Over Columbus Day
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Columbus Day is celebrated every year on the second Monday in October. In 2025, it falls on October 13. The holiday marks Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. But critics have long questioned whether the Italian explorer should be celebrated. They assert that his arrival led to the colonization and mistreatment of Native Americans.
Historians also say that Columbus did not "discover" the Americas. Indigenous peoples had lived there for thousands of years. He was also not the first European to reach North America. A Norse explorer named Leif Erikson came to Greenland around AD 980. This was almost 500 years before Columbus's arrival.
Because of this, some states never celebrated Columbus Day. Hawaii renamed it "Discoverers’ Day" in 1971 to honor its Polynesian founders. South Dakota changed it to "Native American Day" in 1990. Over the years, many schools and universities also stopped observing the holiday.
In 1977, a group of Native American leaders suggested changing the holiday to "Indigenous Peoples' Day." They wanted to honor those hurt by the early settlers. Berkeley, CA, was the first city to make the change in 1992. Since then, over 100 cities and several states have adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 2021, President Joe Biden officially recognized the holiday. He asked Americans to celebrate it on the second Monday of October, along with Columbus Day.
But not everyone agrees that a name change is needed. For Italian Americans, Columbus Day is an important part of Italian Heritage Month, observed every October. They say that the holiday celebrates Italian culture, not Columbus. Some have even suggested changing the name to "Italian Heritage Day."
The ongoing debate shows that history can be complicated. But no matter the name, the holiday is a time to think about the past and remember the people we honor.
Resources: Wikipedia.org, History.com, CNN.com
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12 Comments
animaidocter13about 1 monthWow 1492 wow that's crazy but maybe we can have it both like some people have it Columbus Day and some people have it Indigenous people day
bigthumpywumpyabout 1 monthI personally think both should be real, just Indigenous Peoples' Day should be on a different day than Columbus Day, since both have important cultural and political importance.
milkfanforeverabout 2 monthsWhy do they have to be on the same day. it is kind of an insult to anyone who thinks either it should be columbus day or indigenous people's day
naturelover59about 2 monthshappy indigenous day!!!- milkfanforeverabout 2 monthsHappy Columbus day! Columbus did found america
- tk2x3about 1 monththe Clovis people were the first in north america
- hovogatysujyabout 1 monthhe wasn't the first to find America.
- bigthumpywumpyabout 1 monthI think they are saying Columbus was the main colonizer and founder of the US, since he gave Europe the information of America.
- zehefimosyseabout 2 monthswow. all this. and a debate for what holiday my birthday should be! this year my bday is indigenous peoples day (i dont like columbus day)
youridleabout 2 monthsI'm am native so I think we should keep it at Indigenous day
chocolaterose75about 2 monthsTBH, I think it is fine being called Columbus Day!
gimkitloverabout 2 monthsHappy Indigenous People's Day!