By Truby Chiaviello, PRIMO Magazine
- Basil M. Russo’s Letter to the White House Calls for an In-person Meeting to Resolve Columbus Day Issue
- A Call to Eliminate Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Annual Columbus Day Proclamation
- Highlights of Past Presidents’ Columbus Day Proclamations
The annual Columbus Day proclamation, as issued by the president of the United States, has been grossly politicized and negatively warped.
The future is upon us.
Italian Americans must stand united to urge the White House to deliver a Columbus Day proclamation that mirrors the original intent of the federal holiday.
Basil M. Russo, president of The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) and national president of Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), along with several other Italian American organizations (including PRIMO Magazine), have submitted a letter, dated September 9th, to President Joe Biden requesting a meeting at the White House to ensure the wording of this year’s scheduled Columbus Day proclamation is about Columbus, and only Columbus.
In 2021, President Biden coupled Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Columbus Day, to the shock and disappointment of the Italian American community, not to mention other ethnic and civic organizations, most notably the Knights of Columbus.
President Biden stated in his first Columbus Day proclamation, last year: “Today, let this day be one of reflection — on America’s spirit of exploration, on the courage and contributions of Italian Americans throughout the generations, on the dignity and resilience of Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, and on the work that remains ahead of us to fulfill the promise of our Nation for all.” After the U.S. Congress made Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937, all presidents, since Franklin D. Roosevelt, have made an official announcement, just prior to October 12th, to praise Columbus and his discovery of the New World.
Year after year, presidents celebrated Columbus’s legacy as a key precursor to the development of the United States as a beacon of democracy and freedom for the rest of the world. The values of international relations, immigration and a celebration of Italian Americans were always applauded on Columbus Day.
The interaction between European explorers and indigenous people was never mentioned in any Columbus Day proclamation until President George H. W. Bush did so in 1990. He spoke positively of how ideas and technology were exchanged between the people of the two hemispheres.
In 2014, President Barack Obama broke tradition. No longer was Columbus Day solely positive. He devoted several sentences to the suffering of Native Americas. His was a negative view of American history to taint Columbus Day until the end of his presidency.
President Donald J. Trump returned the Columbus Day proclamation to its original mission. He did not mention the plight of indigenous peoples in his first annual address in 2017. In 2020, he went so far as to include a paragraph to oppose the historical revision that sought to demonize the Genoese explorer.
President Biden has adopted Obama’s precedent, but, with more words than before devoted to the plight of native Americans. His Columbus Day proclamation goes a long way to infer the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’ Day day on Columbus Day.
Judge Russo wrote how President Biden, “left the nation confused as Indigenous Peoples’ Day was linked to the historically celebrated Federal holiday (Columbus Day) originally recognized and enacted by President Harrison in 1892.”
The Biden White House focused on historical wrongs committed against Native Americans, not Italians, in last year’s Columbus Day address. This was in stark contrast to the original adoption of the holiday, in 1892, by President Benjamin Harrison. Columbus Day was meant to heal the national wound wrought by the mass lynching of Sicilian men in New Orleans for crimes they did not commit.
Judge Russo’s letter claims, “Last year’s proclamation implies that Indigenous Peoples’ Day should be celebrated on Columbus Day. We understand your efforts to bring unification to the Nation after two unwieldy years from managing a national health crisis. However, the optics of contaminating the focus and purpose of a recognized traditional Federal holiday for Columbus, with another purpose or focus, rewards one group of Americans politically, at the expense of another. This of course is not a demonstration of a unifying policy, but rather something less.”
Every Italian American organization defending Columbus Day recognizes the contributions of Native Americans. Judge Russo conveyed this point in his letter to the president. “To be clear, the Italian American community across America respects and supports an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, which should be celebrated with a singular focus in November or by expanding the existing international celebration of Indigenous Peoples on August 9th either of which the Italian American community happily supports. At the same time the Italian American community requires the same level of respect for our historical, traditional celebration of Columbus Day which reflects the value of all immigrants and their added value to the fabric of this Nation.”
Future Columbus Day proclamations should not seek to divide Americans. “This action, to remove a day celebrated by Italian Americans for generations, although unintentional, was clear and most disrespectful to the upwards of 20 million Americans who identify as having roots in Italy,” writes Judge Russo.
As midterm elections approach, Judge Russo calls upon President Biden to meet with the Italian American community to resolve the Columbus Day issue. “We would appreciate a few moments of your time to reach common sense solutions. This will allow all of us to come away from this more united, not divided. The magic of democracy is most notable when each of us can celebrate our unique heritage and cultural traditions and accomplishments, as well as respecting the traditions and accomplishments of all ethnic groups, which make up the fabric of America.”
Below is the full text of Judge Russo’s letter, and highlights from previous presidents’ Columbus Day proclamations.
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM BASIL M. RUSSO
September 9, 2022
Dear Mr. President,
In October of last year, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) wrote to you to express our community’s collective concern with respect to the proclamations you issued pertaining to Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. Those proclamations left the nation confused as Indigenous Peoples Day was linked to the historically celebrated Federal holiday originally recognized and enacted by President Harrison in 1892. That year’s Federal holiday, recognizing the 400th Anniversary of the landing of Columbus, was adopted as a way of easing tensions among America and Italy after a brutal lynching of eleven innocent Sicilian men in New Orleans, the largest mass lynching in our history.
Last year’s proclamation implies that Indigenous Peoples Day should be celebrated on Columbus Day. The entire month of November is duly recognized as Indigenous Peoples month and August 9th is recognized as the international celebration of Indigenous People Day.
We understand your efforts to bring unification to the Nation after two unwieldy years from managing a national health crisis. However, the optics of contaminating the focus and purpose of a recognized traditional Federal holiday for Columbus, with another purpose or focus, rewards one group of Americans politically, at the expense of another. This of course is not a demonstration of a unifying policy, but rather something less.
To be clear, the Italian American community across America respects and supports an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration, which should be celebrated with a singular focus in November or by expanding the existing international celebration of Indigenous People on August 9th either of which the Italian American community happily supports. At the same time the Italian American community requires the same level of respect for our historical, traditional celebration of Columbus Day which reflects the value of all immigrants and their added value to the fabric of this Nation.
This action, to remove a day celebrated by Italian Americans for generations, although unintentional, was clear and most disrespectful to the upwards of 20 million Americans who identify as having roots in Italy.
Most recently, Mr. President, you have stressed that our democracy is on the line in the upcoming mid-term elections. Indeed, that is true. But an equally profound threat to our democracy is any policy of exclusion, of favoring one group of Americans over another.
We would appreciate a few moments of your time to reach common sense solutions. This will allow all of us to come away from this more united, not divided. The magic of democracy is most notable when each of us can celebrate our unique heritage and cultural traditions and accomplishments, as well as respecting the traditions and accomplishments of all ethnic groups, which make up the fabric of America.
We therefore again respectfully request the opportunity to meet with you and your staff advisors, in person, to discuss more specific language recognizing the contributions of Italian Americans in this year’s Columbus Day proclamation from the White House.
A meeting with you and your staff would provide an opportunity for a discussion to avert unintended misperceptions and help move the nation closer to unification, without promoting the culture and heritage of one group of Americans at the expense of another.
Kindly contact my office prior to September 14th to schedule this important meeting and discuss any required security clearance protocols for our attendees.
Respectfully,
Basil M. Russo
President, Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO)
Click to enlarge:
COLUMBUS DAY PROCLAMATIONS FROM PAST PRESIDENTS
Both Democrat and Republican presidents have made Columbus Day Proclamations. Here are the highlights:
John F. Kennedy, 1962
“Whereas his westward course was followed by millions of others from the Old World who came with the same enterprising spirit to build this Nation and other nations in this hemisphere, and to create an indestructible bond between the two hemispheres which continues to grow closer and stronger…”
Lyndon Johnson, 1965
“Whereas Christopher Columbus four hundred and seventy-three years ago journeyed westward across forbidding and unknown seas to open the way for the eventual establishment of our Nation and its free institutions…”
Jimmy Carter, 1979
“We are the inheritors of Columbus’ legacy. As a nation which has always striven for the same qualities as the Great Navigator, we must continue the search for new horizons.”
Bill Clinton, 1995
“A native of Genoa, Columbus’ courage and commitment led him to leave safe shores in pursuit of his goals. But he could not have made his trips without the support of the Spanish crown. People of Italian and Spanish descent continue to energize communities across our Nation, enhancing every occupation and sector of American society. We are grateful for their tremendous contributions and for the ingenuity of spirit that is Columbus’ enduring legacy.”
Barack Obama, 2014
“In a new world, explorers found opportunity. They endured unforgiving winters and early hardship. They pushed west across a continent, charting rivers and mountains, and expanded our understanding of the world as they embraced the principle of self-reliance. In a new world, a history was written. It tells the story of an idea — that all women and men are created equal — and a people’s struggle to fulfill it. And it is a history shared by Native Americans, one marred with long and shameful chapters of violence, disease, and deprivation.”
Dwight David Eisenhower, 1958
“Whereas we who long for the attainment of this goal may draw inspiration from the vision and courage of Christopher Columbus, who sailed across an uncharted sea and found a western continent and opened a new world…”
Richard M. Nixon, 1973
“Columbus launched the great age of discovery in the Americas. For five centuries, the spirit of discovery has continued to flourish here. On this Columbus Day, we can usefully reflect on the many ways in which that spirit still lives on, not only in our efforts to expand our physical horizons but in everything we do which helps us broaden our understanding of our world and of ourselves.”
Gerald R. Ford, 1975
“We can all take great pride, as we look forward to our Bicentennial celebrations, in honoring the memory of the epic accomplishments of Christopher Columbus which led to the development of the Americas and the founding of this great Nation.”
Ronald Reagan, 1986
“Americans of Italian descent are proud to say that Columbus, a son of Genoa, was the first of many Italians to come to America and a powerful reason the United States and Italy share the unique friendship they do. Those of Spanish descent likewise point out that Spain made Columbus’s voyages possible and that he is the first link in the friendship of the United States and Spain. All Americans share in this just pride.”
George H.W. Bush, 1990
“Seizing an opportunity to pursue his dreams and theories and to expand the realm of the known, Christopher Columbus not only introduced European culture and technology to the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere but also obtained for his countrymen an alluring glimpse of their rich lands and exotic customs. In so doing, he began a long, fruitful exchange of knowledge, resources, and traditions between the Old World and the New.”
George W. Bush, 2005
“Since 1934, when President Roosevelt first proclaimed the national holiday, our Nation has observed Columbus Day to mark the moment when the Old World met the New. As we recognize Columbus’ legacy, we also celebrate the contributions of Italian Americans to our Nation’s growth and well-being. Americans of Italian descent are musicians and athletes, doctors and lawyers, teachers and first responders. They are serving bravely in our Armed Forces.”
Donald J. Trump, 2020
“Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus’s legacy. These extremists seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions. Rather than learn from our history, this radical ideology and its adherents seek to revise it, deprive it of any splendor, and mark it as inherently sinister. They seek to squash any dissent from their orthodoxy. We must not give in to these tactics or consent to such a bleak view of our history. We must teach future generations about our storied heritage, starting with the protection of monuments to our intrepid heroes like Columbus.”
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