Columbus Day: What it is and what you didn’t know

By: Cindy G. Castillo

October 12 celebrates Columbus Day, a holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus and as many of us know his landing in the New World on 1492.  This holiday signifies honoring Columbus’ achievements and has been celebrated unofficially in several states as early as the 18^th century. It became a federal holiday in the year 1937.

What many of us don’t know however, is how this celebration has caused controversy throughout history, and how many alternatives to the holiday have appeared in recent years.

Historians continued to learn more about Christopher Columbus’ life, and learned his main focus in his mission; to find riches and conquer new lands. The main sources of controversy surrounding Columbus are: the use of violence and slavery against the indigenous people he labeled “Indians”, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity, and the introduction of a new disease that brought dramatic effects on native people in the Americas. This damage created by Columbus and his team led to an outcry over emphasis placed upon celebrating him in public celebrations.

Rather than Columbus Day, many Latin American nations label the anniversary of Columbus’ landing as the Dia de la Raza (“Day of the Race”) focusing mainly on celebrating the Hispanic culture’s diverse roots. Venezuela renamed the holiday Dìa de la Resistencia Indìgena (“Day of Indigenous Resistance”) in 2002. U.S. states have also replaced Columbus Day with other alternatives such as South Dakota’s Native American Day and Hawaii’s Discoverer’s Day commemorating the arrival of Polynesian settlers.

In the United States today, Columbus Day has evolved into a celebration all over the country. Parades and street fairs are hosted by local groups featuring colorful costumes and music. In the cities that use the day to honor indigenous people, activities include pow-wows, traditional dances and lessons about Native American culture.