not yet legally an official title by statute, although it is used as an official secondary title across the executive branch.
If interested, here are my thoughts on Columbus Day after seeing the Department of War’s post. (This does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of any of the organizations I am part of. Any errors are mine.) In short, the holiday has historic and ongoing value, but it comes with baggage too. I know that I have written about this before.
The holiday is complicated by Christopher Columbus’ mixed legacy – brave perhaps, benefiting trade and modernization, but it also comes to us stained with the very real harms of colonization, slavery and genocidal acts. Why do Italians hang onto it?
Italians, especially from the South and Sicily, looked different (often dark-skinned), spoke differently, and were of a feared faith, Roman Catholicism. They were often the new working poor and unaccepted. Jobs, housing and education were often denied, and slum living or unofficial villages near rivers became a norm of sorts.
Unfortunately, false accusations and violence came too late. Eleven Italian immigrants became accused of killing the New Orleans police chief. History states that most had been rounded up due to their ethnicity. Accusations arose that organized crime was trying to influence the government. The word “mafia” moved into the US lexicon for reportedly the first time. An angry mob did not accept the judgement of acquittal for several of the men. The largest mass lynching in the history of the United States was the result.
Initially the press was quite supportive of the lynchers. Theodore Roosevelt, I’ve heard, actually sent a private letter to someone commending what happened. Yet as Italian organizations complained and an angry Italian government’s diplomatic responses began to have effect, the xenophobic verbosity lessened.
As you can read in the Wikipedia article about this incident, President Harrison instituted Columbus Day on the 400th Anniversary of his voyage (1892) to help placate both Italy and Italians in the United States. President Harrison even agreed to pay a $25,000 indemnity to the victims’ families. (Which Congress unsuccessfully tried to derail.) Unfortunately, the death of the police chief became a rallying cry to nativists.
As prejudice and racist acts continued, Italians leaned into their faith and cultural celebrations. They welcomed Columbus Day as a hopeful sign. Many of the hated or even toppled statues of Columbus (including in Virginia) were put up as a claim to a new homeland and as a request for respect and recognition as equals. They often were put up despite overt threats and sometimes violent acts including bombings and attacks on Catholic Churches and universities from the KKK and others. The statues went up anyway as paid for through the donations of immigrant families.
The Italian lot did not progress much until WW2 when so many vets came home with an appreciation for Italian food, culture and sometimes wives. New Italian restaurants and Americano coffees became an acceptable thing. Then came Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and others. Like rap music, it caught the imagination of white youth and changed attitudes. (It’s important to note that particularly Sicilians and Southern Italians before this time were not considered white in the South.)
Even in my grandparents period, my and my wife’s relatives faced overt discrimination in education, jobs and housing in the North. Perhaps just changing the name of the holiday to Italian Appreciation Day would be a help, but I hope we don’t forget about this ugly past and learn from it. We need to remember it and Columbus – what he did, certainly, but why he became this icon – as we interact with new immigrants today. This link leads to the history video on Facebook: https://lnkd.in/eqa3KNiR
As for the War Department’s post. Hegseth is using the post to stir the pot with identity politics because he too often acts like a hard hearted child. From my experience and training, people in AA might call him a “dry drunk.” He seems to have many unresolved issues still harming himself, others, and our national security. His denomination is an angry, unhealthy one. He needs to go in order to stop the harm and negativity being caused. These are distractions when there are real dangers to address. I do pray for his repentance and growth toward personal peace with himself and others – although he’d scoff at me for that. He believes empathy is weak and a sin.
People might think this is inappropriate territory for a pastor, but I’m speaking this in love for him and others, not for punishment or degradation. He’s settling for a counterfeit version of the abundant life Jesus offers the entire universal Church, Christian nationalism. This is a stated desire by leaders of his denomination, dangerous to democracy and easily confirmed.
Indigenous People’s Day need not be put in competition with other cultures. That’s suspiciously looking to be the background intention of the War Department’s post even as it remains a Federal Holiday. As a simple Google search identified: “The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) did not issue a dedicated Indigenous Peoples’ Day social media post or public statement for October 12, 2026.” And recently with changes to rules regarding chaplains and faith, “The update removed the distinct “Native American Religion” category (along with 179 other specific faiths), placing service members whose specific beliefs are not individually listed under the “Other Religion” category for dog tags, military records, and chaplain services.”
Indigenous People’s Day meets a real need and stands on its own merits, as it should. I’m more than ok with it superseding my Italian celebration of culture. Italians have come a long way. I’ve benefited from the sacrifices of those that came before me. Now, others need the attention to help them find justice, acceptance and progress. It doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate my ancestors too even if on the same day.
© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated
