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The controversy surrounding Columbus Day: Should it be celebrated?
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2 The controversy surrounding Columbus Day: Should it be celebrated?The celebration of Columbus Day, which commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the
Americas in 1492, has been a controversial topic in recent years. While some people view it as a day to
celebrate the contributions of Italian-Americans and the discovery of the New World, others argue that
it glorifies colonization, genocide, and the subjugation of indigenous peoples. In this essay, I will examine
the controversy surrounding Columbus Day and argue that it should not be celebrated.
The primary argument against Columbus Day is that it celebrates the beginning of a process that led to
the genocide of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of Africans. The arrival of Columbus in the
Americas marked the beginning of a process that would ultimately result in the deaths of millions of
indigenous people. This process included forced labor, forced assimilation, and the spread of disease. As
the writer James Loewen puts it, "Columbus enslaved and killed people, and we should not be
celebrating that."
Furthermore, the celebration of Columbus Day is seen as a celebration of colonialism, which resulted in
the subjugation of indigenous peoples and the theft of their land. The idea of "discovery," which is
central to Columbus Day celebrations, implies that the land was empty and waiting to be claimed, which
erases the fact that indigenous peoples were already living on the land. As the activist and writer
Winona LaDuke states, "Celebrating Columbus means celebrating the loss of our land, our resources, our
culture, and our history."
Another argument against Columbus Day is that it celebrates a historical figure who was responsible for
atrocities and did not actually "discover" America. Columbus did not actually discover America; he
landed on an island in the Caribbean. Additionally, his arrival in the Americas had catastrophic
consequences for the indigenous peoples who were already living there. As the historian Howard Zinn
states, "What Columbus did to the Arawaks of the Bahamas, Cortes did to the Aztecs of Mexico, Pizarro
to the Incas of Peru, and the English settlers to the Powhatans and the Pequots of North America."
Proponents of Columbus Day argue that it is a day to celebrate Italian-American heritage and that it
should not be politicized. However, the celebration of Columbus Day is not just a matter of heritage. It is
a matter of acknowledging a historical event that had significant consequences for the world we live in
today. As the writer Arlene Davila states, "The question is not whether Columbus Day should be
celebrated, but how we should acknowledge the complexities of the history of the Americas."
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