The Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus Circle in Manhattan has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The towering monument was among the monument controversies of a year ago, but the Italian community opposed any recontexting or removal of the edifice to the man whose leadership paved the way for the influence of Western Civilization to culturize this new found world.
Through the Great Navigator’s leadership, modern globalism resulted in social, commercial and economic changes in this hemisphere known as the Americas.
The Columbus Foundation in New York City led the efforts of Italian American organizations to protect the statue and that was fitting, for it was their membership spearheaded by Generoso Pope which paid for the statue’s construction in 1892.
This historic recognition is more than just about Christopher Columbus; it is also about your heritage and mine. It is about the sacrifices of those in our families who paved the way for our efforts of today and it is about the inclusion of our heritage when the discussion of the expansionism of Western Civilization takes place.
This should bring great satisfaction to all Italian Americans!
Felice Anno Nuovo
