President Trump’s resolute commitment to observe Columbus Day is not a perfunctory nod to antiquity, it is a clarion affirmation of America’s genesis, its destiny, and the indelible imprint of Italian genius upon the very sinews of this republic. In an era when revisionist iconoclasts now seek to obliterate monuments and expunge history this administration’s refusal to capitulate to the nihilistic mob is both patriotic and essential to the preservation of our national soul.
Christopher Columbus was not merely a seafaring adventurer with a dream; he was a visionary whose audacity redefined the trajectory of human civilization. Born in Genoa in 1451, Columbus possessed an unyielding faith and an insatiable curiosity that propelled him into the unknown. In 1492, under the auspices of the Spanish crown, he traversed perilous and uncharted waters to open a gateway to the New World, a continent that would one day give rise to the United States of America, the most luminous beacon of liberty and prosperity in human history. Columbus inaugurated an epoch of exploration, cultural exchange, and geopolitical transformation that reshaped the course of humanity. His courage, perseverance, and unwavering conviction epitomize the quintessential American ethos: bold, defiant, and eternally undaunted.
To honor Columbus Day is to honor the very inception of our national narrative. To repudiate him is to mutilate the prologue of the American story and desecrate the memory of the man whose discovery set the stage for the republic that followed.
Yet the Italian contribution to America does not begin and end only with Columbus. It is woven into the warp and weft of our national tapestry, enriching it with brilliance, devotion, and ingenuity at every turn.
Consider Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, born in Lombardy in 1850, who became the first American citizen to be canonized as a Catholic saint. She arrived in New York with nothing but her indomitable faith and missionary’s zeal. Mother Cabrini established hospitals, orphanages, and schools that uplifted the destitute and gave hope to legions of immigrants. Her tireless service did not merely save lives, it ennobled the moral character of a young and burgeoning nation. Mother Cabrini is the Patron Saint of Immigrants, all immigrants. Our national identity is American and for those of us born lucky enough to have been descended from Italian immigrants we wear our Italian American backgrounds with pride.
Reflect also on Amerigo Vespucci, the Florentine navigator whose meticulous observations and cartographic precision corrected prevailing misconceptions about the New World. Vespucci discerned that these were not the fringes of Asia but an entirely new continent. It was a revelation so profound that it bestowed upon this land its very name: America. Without Vespucci’s sagacity the concept of the Americas as a distinct hemisphere might never have materialized.
And then there is Cesare Beccaria, the Milanese luminary whose philosophical treatise “On Crimes and Punishments” revolutionized criminal jurisprudence. His advocacy for proportional punishment, due process, and the abolition of torture profoundly influenced the intellectual architecture of the American Founding Fathers. Jefferson, Adams, and Madison imbibed his ideas as they drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Beccaria is rightly hailed as the “Father of Criminology,” and the resonance of his principles still echoes in our legal framework today.
Italian brilliance continued to and still does illuminate our American experience from the inception of Christopher Columbus’s journey on The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria into every age of ascendancy that followed. Enrico Fermi, the father of the nuclear age, brought his genius to our shores and catalyzed scientific breakthroughs that shaped the modern world. Constantino Brumidi, whose moniker is the “Michelangelo of the Capitol” transformed the interior of the United States Capitol into a temple of republican grandeur with his sublime frescoes. Fiorello La Guardia, the reformist mayor of New York, ushered in an era of integrity and revitalization during some of the city’s most tumultuous years. Frank Sinatra, with a voice that transcended generations, became an icon whose music defined the American soundtrack.
Two extraordinary Italian Americans also embodied the valor, fortitude, and indomitable spirit that define this nation. John Basilone, born to Italian immigrants in Buffalo, New York, rose to become one of the most decorated heroes of World War II. As a young United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, Basilone’s legendary defense in the Pacific Theater at Guadalcanal, where he held off wave after wave of Japanese assaults with unflinching bravery, earned him the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military commendation. Refusing a safe stateside post Basilone insisted upon returning to the Pacific, landing at Iwo Jima, where he was killed in action while leading his men under withering Japanese fire. His heroism remains a luminous testament to Italian American patriotism and sacrifice.
Equally inspiring is the story of Louis Zamperini, the son of Italian immigrants and an Olympic athlete whose life became an epic saga of perseverance. Competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Zamperini’s athletic prowess brought pride to America but it was his extraordinary endurance as a World War II bombardier that etched his name into history. After his plane crashed into the Pacific, he survived 47 harrowing days adrift at sea, only to endure years of brutal captivity in Japanese prison camps. His unbroken spirit and refusal to surrender became a symbol of resilience that continues to inspire generations.
But the Italian influence is not confined to exploration, science, politics, military history, or theology. It is omnipresent in our cultural, aesthetic, and culinary life of the nation. The Italian culinary tradition, with its emphasis on simplicity, authenticity, and excellence revolutionized the American palate. From the family owned trattorias of Little Italy to the Michelin starred temples of gastronomy, Italian cuisine has become synonymous with comfort, celebration, and community. Dishes like pasta, pizza, risotto, and tiramisu are now integral to the American culinary lexicon, beloved by people of every background.
Italian artistry also transformed American fashion, infusing it with sophistication, craftsmanship, and flair. Designers like Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Miuccia Prada, and Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana reshaped global style from the ateliers of Milan to the runways of New York. Italian tailoring and design brought a new vocabulary of elegance and innovation that still dominates the world’s most influential fashion capitals.
In music, Italian Americans have left an indelible imprint on every genre, from the operatic majesty of Enrico Caruso to the golden era crooners like Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Dean Martin, to contemporary artists who continue to redefine sound and style. The Italian influence extends into Hollywood, where Italian-American filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese transformed cinema into high art and helped define American storytelling on the global stage.
In every sphere, science, art, cuisine, music, politics, fashion, jurisprudence, architecture, and beyond, Italians and Italian Americans have enriched and elevated the American experience. They have been innovators and statesmen, artists and scientists, dreamers and builders. Their contributions are not ornamental but foundational, embedded into the lifeblood of our beloved nation itself.
Columbus Day is therefore not merely a holiday. It is a solemn affirmation of who we are. It is a declaration that we will neither allow vandals to deface our history nor zealots to rewrite our past. It is a celebration of the audacious spirit, the boundless creativity, and the enduring faith that Italians brought to America, gifts that helped shape the greatest nation in human history.
As someone who proudly supports the Italian American Civil Rights League I declare without equivocation that I am proud of my Italian heritage and of the innumerable contributions Italians have made to this country. From Columbus’s fearless voyage to Cabrini’s boundless compassion, from Vespucci’s insight to Beccaria’s revolutionary ideas, from Basilone’s heroism to Zamperini’s unbreakable will, from the culinary brilliance that fills our tables to the music that stirs our souls, our story is the American story.
Let us celebrate Columbus Day not merely as a tribute to one man’s voyage but as an exaltation of an entire people whose courage, intellect, artistry, and devotion helped build, nourish, and ennoble the United States of America. To do anything less would be an act of historical vandalism and a betrayal of our very identity as a nation.
Yet our Italian American culture and tradition remains under attack by the unhinged politically correct woke mob. Those who want to stand up for our Italiani American values and resist those who would replace Columbus, nocolo Tesla ,Philadelphia, Mayor, Frank Rizzo, and other great Italians from our history can join the Italian American Civil Rights League he premier Italian American civil rights proponent in the country at IACRL.org
Happy Columbus Day, my fellow American citizens!!
