Reckoning with Christopher Columbus

Abstract

While there has recently been increasing attention to public memorials of Christopher Columbus and the national Columbus Day holiday, this article argues for a deeper, sociologically-informed reckoning with the implications of Columbus for racial, cultural, and national identity in the United States. It uses the Italian-American experience as an example that provides insights into immigrant arrival, assimilation, and identity in contexts of racialization and criminalization. Overall, the symbol of Columbus in the Italian American experience is particularly relevant to group identity and collective memory in the U.S., in a moment where many are reconsidering country’s historical narratives.