The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) strongly opposes Virginia House Bill 858, legislation that would eliminate Columbus Day as an official state holiday and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. This marks the third consecutive year that similar legislation has been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly.
“As an organization devoted to the promotion and preservation of Italian American heritage, NIAF unequivocally supports maintaining Columbus Day’s status as a state holiday in Virginia,” said Robert Allegrini, President and CEO of NIAF. “We believe that Christopher Columbus’ courageous voyage was the catalyst that initiated over 500 years of immigration to the Americas by people from every corner of the Earth—all of whom were seeking a better life for their families.”
Columbus Day has been recognized as a Virginia state holiday since 1977, celebrated jointly with Yorktown Victory Day on the second Monday in October. The holiday holds deep significance for Virginia’s Italian American community, representing not only the accomplishments of an Italian explorer but also the contributions of generations of Italian Americans to the Commonwealth.
NIAF believes that the solution to honoring Indigenous peoples does not require erasing Italian American heritage. Virginia’s calendar offers 365 days, and the Commonwealth can establish Indigenous Peoples Day as a separate observance without eliminating an existing cultural celebration that has been recognized for nearly half a century.
“This is not an either-or proposition,” added Allegrini. “Virginia can honor Indigenous communities while simultaneously preserving the cultural heritage of Italian Americans. Eliminating Columbus Day sends a harmful message that one community’s heritage must be sacrificed to recognize another’s.”
The failure of similar legislation in 2024 and 2025, and the recent Pennsylvania court ruling overturning Philadelphia’s attempt to replace Columbus Day, demonstrates that many Americans recognize the value of preserving established cultural observances while finding inclusive ways to honor all communities.
NIAF calls on Virginia legislators to vote against HB858 and instead work collaboratively with both Italian American and Indigenous communities to establish a separate day of recognition that does not require the elimination of an existing heritage celebration.
