As many Americans prepare to celebrate Columbus Day on Monday, Seattle’s City Council voted to dump the famous explorer’s name from the holiday, instead proclaiming it Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Seattle is not the first to make the change, several other U.S. cities and states have already moved to the updated name.
The federally observed holiday is of course named after Christopher Columbus, the Italian-born explorer who reached the Americas in 1492.
But the figure is controversial in the United States since the historical account of him “discovering” America is disputed, because he was in fact not the first person to reach the Americas. He is also criticized for a tyrannical-style rule and for his poor treatment of the indigenous people.
These ideas are reinforced by various writings from his personal journal. “As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts,” Columbus wrote.
The city’s decision was condemned by the Italian-American community. “Italians are intensely offended,” said Seattle native Lisa Marchese.
“For decades, Italian-Americans celebrated not the man, but the symbol of Columbus Day. That symbol means we honor the legacy of our ancestors who immigrated to Seattle, overcame poverty, a language barrier, and above all, discrimination,” Marchese added.
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