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It is amazing to wander around the United States and discover that in places where one would think there were no traces of our country, there is instead a community proud of its Italian roots, people who are committed to celebrating and representing Italy. In the American collective imagination, Iowa is one of the states farthest from the populated...

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February 15, 2022 Roma, Italy

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A Republican-backed bill to preserve Columbus Day and have New Hampshire celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in August drew opposition at a public hearing this week, in a reprise of a fight last legislative session when Abenaki leaders spoke against the August date. Rep. Jess Edwards, an Auburn Republican, who is a co-sponsor of HB 1173, favored the...

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Cristoforo Colombo was always aloft on his pedestal, looking out toward the harbor and sea, to catch the next ship and to sail off to his next conquest. His replacement – the Italian, or perhaps universal, immigrant family – will have come from the sea, from far away, and to stay, to put down roots and to begin their American success stories. That’...

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The Ocean County Columbus Day Parade Committee is seeking their next grand marshal for its 31st annual parade and Italian festival to be held in from October 7-9 in Seaside Heights. Long-time Parade Chairman Michael A. Blandina announced, “Grand Marshal nominees should be civic minded individuals who are of good character as they will be the symbol...

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Gone are the benches, planters, flood lights, and gravel walking paths. The sculpture itself — of an aspiring immigrant family — remains in the picture, as a controversial plan to replace the former Wooster Square Christopher Columbus monument moved to a new stage. That was the update offered Wednesday night at a meeting of the Wooster Square Monum...

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Italian Americans seeking the return of Chicago’s Christopher Columbus statue to its former pedestal in Little Italy allege that Mayor Lori Lightfoot interfered with a Park District contract to keep the monument on display “in perpetuity,” according to a recently filed complaint. Lightfoot has been newly added as a defendant in a lawsuit the Joint...

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One of the most interesting public sculptures in Philadelphia right now is a 22-feet-tall, wooden box in the middle of a public park. The box actually covers a marble statue of Christopher Columbus that has been in place for nearly 150 years. Originally erected in 1876, the monument shows Columbus standing next to a globe showing a map of the Ameri...

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Santa Clara leaders Tuesday night praised the City Council for voting to ditch Columbus Day and instead celebrate a day that highlights indigenous people and cultures. “We’re particularly happy and proud that our task force was able to make this recommendation while also acknowledging another thing that we saw in our surveys,” said Neil Datar, chai...

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I was surprised to see throughout Syracuse many posters with a particularly interesting message containing two demands. The first one was to celebrate diversity; he second, to replace the Columbus statue. But how can we celebrate diversity by removing a preeminent symbol of diversity?  The Syracuse Columbus statue was paid for with the donations of...

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