Historically Speaking

Erasing history is one of the most profound violations a culture can commit—not just against others, but against itself. Though it’s a tactic as old as civilization, we’re witnessing its resurgence today on many fronts - even in the form of national park signage and picture books depicting women's history. Sadly, we also see it among individuals, who refuse to listen to each other, some mired so deep in their own pain they cannot see the pain of others. Dystopian novels like The Giver by Lois Lowry and 1984 by George Orwell have long warned us of the dangers: whether it’s done under the pretense of protecting people from painful truths or to serve the agenda of a controlling regime, the outcome is the same. Erasure silences conversation. It cuts off the possibility of understanding, empathy, and progress. It doesn’t eliminate the past—it attempts to sever our memory of it. And this tendency crosses political and ideological lines. When we choose not to engage with each othe...

 There is ongoing controversy over whether our nation should continue celebrating Columbus Day. It's well understood that Christopher Columbus did not truly "discover" America in 1492, as Indigenous peoples had been living on the land for thousands of years. However, the origins of the holiday are more complex than they might seem and are not solely about honoring the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag. Instead, Columbus Day has deeper roots in the history of Italian immigration to the United States and the struggle of Italian Americans to gain acceptance and recognition. Between roughly 1880 and 1924, more than 4 million Italians—primarily from Southern Italy and Sicily, including my own ancestors—arrived on American shores in search of opportunities they couldn't find in their homeland, much like countless other immigrants seeking a better life in the United States.   Photo by Lewis Hine Like other immigrants they were not m...