October is Italian-American heritage Month, chosen to coincide with the federal Columbus Day holiday, which in recent years has become a flashpoint for conflict about how we understand the “American Dream” and the values we espouse as citizens of the United States.

As noted by scholars of the Italian American experience (Connell, Deschamps, Ruberto, Sciorra), Italian immigrants through their cultural association with Columbus found a means to publicly celebrate themselves as participants in the foundation of their adopted nation and to counter widespread prejudices and discrimination against them. In the twenty-first century, though, Columbus’s legacy has come under scrutiny.