The story of why in 1892 America began to celebrate Co­lum­bus Day, which subsequently led to the cre­ation of more than 100 Columbus statues through­out our coun­try, is a tragic ex­am­ple of the mis­treat­ment of im­mi­grants that needs to be told.

When Italians came to America

Between 1880 and 1920, some four million Italian immigrants left impoverished towns throughout southern Italy to seek a better life for their families in the U.S. Upon their arrival in America, they were subjected to violence and hostility unlike anything they had experienced in Italy.