Columbus Day

By: Elaine Lehman

 

Since 1937, Columbus Day has been recognized as a national holiday. And since 1971, Columbus Day has commemorated in the United States on the second Monday in October. As equally in the decades since, there has been a movement to recognize the American indigenous populations. Advocates for and against the man Columbus take strong positions.

In 2017, the State of Illinois designated Indigenous People’s Day on the last Monday in September through House Bill 0132. In response, the American Indian Center of Chicago issued the following statement, “The American Indian Center was surprised to learn of this new bill and are disappointed that it passed. Indigenous people were not consulted during the crafting and passing of this bill. We believe that all peoples deserve respect, public comment and consultation in regards to holidays that affect us as a community. We view this as an insult and a threat to current progress made towards recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day on the Second Monday of October and a flagrant act of disrespect toward our community”.

In late February 2020, the Chicago Public Schools announced its decision to cancel Columbus Day and observe only Indigenous People’s Day. The Italian American community had not been informed and immediately filed a complaint that the action was illegal. In a recent interview with ABCTV Chicago, Heather Miller, American Indian Center, shared a letter from the Illinois Board of Education dated April 8, 2019, in which they responded to her inquiry whether the CPS would violate the School Code in renaming a holiday.

We studied a copy of the Chicago Board of Education meeting agenda in which the cancellation of Columbus Day took place. It only listed amending the school calendar 2020-2021, without mention of the elimination of Columbus Day. We spoke with a representative of the CBOE and were informed that they complied with the statute and that the amendment was made to the holiday name Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day when a Board member suggested eliminating “Columbus Day”.

According to the Illinois Board of Education, “HOLIDAY MODIFICATIONS

Section 24-2 of the School Code provides that a school board or other eligible entity is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers’ institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development activities (including school improvement and inservice training) on the following legal school holidays:

The birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (third Monday in January);

The birthday of President Abraham Lincoln (February 12);

The birthday of Casimir Pulaski (fi rst Monday in March);

Columbus Day (second Monday in October); and

Veterans’ Day (November 11)* (see below)

The school board or other applicant is authorized to take these actions provided that (1) the person/persons honored by the holiday are recognized through instructional activities conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for student attendance, on the first school day preceding or following that day; and (2) the entity choosing to exercise this authority first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The school board or other applicant shall provide notice preceding the public hearing to both educators and parents, setting forth the time, date, and place of the hearing; describing the proposal; and indicating that testimony from educators and parents will be taken about the proposal during the public hearing. ”

We are not unsympathetic with the need to recognize American Indian peoples and culture. We are supportive of this worthy endeavor, as the Philippines encountered a similar experience with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. We, however, strongly disagree with the deceptive tactics employed to cancel this particular holiday without the consultation of the Italian American community.

But this column is not to argue about the most appropriate name for this day, but to use it as an impetus to learn our history and to let it serve as a guide for our future. What most protesters do not acknowledge in their debates is that those who created Columbus Day were also engaged in a struggle to move the nation to be more inclusive and welcoming to immigrants.

In 1892, following a public lynching in New Orleans where a mob brutally murdered eleven Italian immigrants, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation urging Americans to mark the day. Columbus Day became symbolic of patriotic rituals to advocate the importance of loyalty to the nation and to celebrate American social and economic progress. Italian Americans, long vilified and seen as the other, embraced the holiday to celebrate their heritage and contributions to the United States.

The City of Chicago enjoys the third largest Italian American population, following Philadelphia and New York City. Their many achievements and contributions are present in our day-to-day and have richly influenced Filipino American traditions, foods, and cultures. The Philippines and Italy have also enjoyed longstanding diplomatic and cultural relations since 1947.

The CPS’s action, however unintentional, incited conflict when none was needed. We are equally disappointed in the American Indian Center’s unresponsiveness to the Italian American community’s outreach for dialogue. In the current racially-charged climate we currently face, it is worth remembering that the now-controversial holiday started as a way to begin a dialogue, to empower immigrants, and to celebrate American diversity. Let us try.