February 2024 Christopher Columbus' legal defense in American courts: thanks to George Bochetto

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 impo...

Cities and towns in New Hampshire are now required by state law to recognize Columbus Day, shining a fresh spotlight on the controversy between the holiday and Indigenous People’s Day.House Bill 1014, signed by Gov. Chris Sununu in July, mandates New Hampshire civics classroom instruction include information on state laws governing elections and vo...

Former News12 anchor Doug Geed will help lead the Columbus Day Parade on Oct. 13, joining three others serving as grand marshals. Butch Yamali, president of Dover Group Business Company, and Marisol and Biagio Isgro, Jr., the state president of  Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, will also seve as grand marshals. The parade route will re...

Columbus Parks and Recreation department is being sued by an Italian American after accusations that the city is demonstrating hostility toward its namesake. The lawsuit is based on a single park, Christopher Columbus Square, which was renamed Warren Square after a petition from the Italian Village Society. Now, some Italian Americans say its part...

The North End Christopher Columbus statue has now been permanently relocated to the Peace Garden at St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in the North End. The IAA wishes to extend a very special thank you to St. Leonard's pastor, Fr. Michael Della Penna, OFM, the Knights of Columbus, and all those involved with protecting this beautiful work of art h...

The City of Bayonne will play host once again to a Columbus Day Parade this year, just under a different name. “We decided not to call it a Columbus Day Parade in order to avoid controversy,” Councilman Neil Carroll said. Instead, Bayonne's Italian Heritage Parade will take place on Sunday Oct. 20, leading marchers along Avenue C from 56th Street t...

Two bills that were advancing through the Massachusetts House and Senate, seeking to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, are now all but dead-on-arrival thanks to a viral petition spearheaded by affiliates of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).  COPOMIAO President Basil M. Russo, along wit...

The August Solidarity Session will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 8 PM EDT. Join with leaders of the Native American Guardian’s Association (“NAGA”) and representatives of Italian American organizations from around the country at the next monthly Zoom meeting to collaborate in opposing cancel culture. These successful monthly virtual sessio...

A 2,000-pound bronzed statue of Christopher Columbus has been relocated to the Rockland Sons of Italy Lodge in Blauvelt, NY. The nearly 100-year-old statue, created in 1925, was previously vandalized and defaced during protests in Richmond, Virginia, in 2020. An Italian-American organization fundraised to restore the statue, which arrived at its ne...