On October 12, 1492 a sailor on the ship Pinta sighted land in the Americas for the first time. A day later Columbus’s three ship fleet reached a Bahamian island and Europeans were officially in the Americas to stay. To some people this is a triumph; to some it’s a tragedy. But there’s no question that it’s important.
Americans have been commemorating October 12 as Columbus Day since 1792. In Chicago Columbus Day is celebrated as one of the great ethnic festivals along with Martin Luther King’s birthday, St. Patrick’s Day, Pulaski Day, and Cinco de Mayo. On Columbus Day we celebrate Italians, Italian-Americans, and their contributions to American life. So, mange, already.
