Columbus Was an Immigrant!

East Hanover, as I discovered, has the region’s largest Columbus Day Parade & celebration, which I attended today, along with my 4 year old, who is a SUCKER for a marching band (when asked what he wants to be when he grows up, his standard answer is “bagpiper, because they march in parades”).  As I was returning to the shady spot I had staked out along the massive parade route from the port-o-potties (yes, this parade is big enough to have port-a-john stations…), I crossed the parking lot where a wide array of vintage and muscle car collectors were displaying their vehicles.  One gentleman in a gorgeous, baby blue 1956 Cadillac was pulling into the lot, and arguing about the spot he had been directed to.  “I don’t want to be with all them damn foreign cars, I wanna be there next to the American cars!  It’s Columbus Day and this car is American!”  There may have been an epithet or two as well, but who needs to share that, right?

I found myself really perplexed by the comment, which seemed to be somewhat paradoxical…or at least going against the grain of the very holiday itself.  This is the commemoration of the day that Christopher Columbus (an Italian), sailing for Spain, landed in the New World, and specifically, the Bahamas.  The Italian immigrants that came to this country in the mid-19^th century were seen for generations to come as foreigners themselves, fighting for homes, jobs and the right to worship God as Catholics.  Columbus Day is a symbol of that struggle, a celebration of Italian heritage and the collective strength of a people who came as “Italians” and remained as “Americans.”  I found the man’s comment shocking because I just couldn’t comprehend the idea that being co-opted into the American melting pot gives license to any man to separate himself from anyone else who also seeks that privilege and right.  I imagine that he may have been a proponent of “buying American,” but the “foreign” car he was referring to was a Japanese brand, undoubtedly now built in a US plant.   

As part of the Asian immigration wave that began after 1965, and myself being foreign-born, this comment cuts me to the core.  Because I am like that Japanese car – I am a real estate agent, a home owner and a tax payer.  I’m a member of the PTA, attended Sunday school, vacation at Disney World and VOTE my heart every time.  Maybe I’m not Italian, but my husband is, and my son carries proudly his father’s name and MINE…”Chu-Ricci.”  I guess my perspective is that I am just as thankful to Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain for finding the Americas, setting into the play the events that lead to my American life.  Columbus Day, to me, is not just for Italian Americans, but for all immigrants, especially those that have the honor of calling themselves American, by birth or by naturalization.  And some grumpy old guy in a classic car can never take that away.

Columbus Day is essentially a patriotic holiday much in the vein of the 4^th of July, only without the fireworks or sheet cake with strawberry stripes and blueberry stars.  However, as far as patriotic holidays go, this one always seems flooded by politicians with their shiny teeth and lacquered hair, waving from vintage American cars – an image that brings to the surface a sense of nostalgia, of a time when things were better and life was easier and honest work was all a man expected out of life.  Perhaps it’s because Columbus Day is so close to November elections…the flesh-pressers just can’t pass up the chance to campaign.  This tinges the holiday for me…an underlying, subtle sense of discontent that follows politicians around like a lingering odor…”vote for me…I’ll make you rich…I’ll keep you safe…let’s take back America…”  From who?  From your neighborhood Vietnamese shop owner?  From the Greek family who runs the diner on Valley and Main?  From the ex-pat Brits who moved down the street 5 years ago when he was transferred by his company?  From the guy who owns the garage in town who you can’t tell where the heck he’s from because you’ve never heard a name like his before and he looks like he could be any number of things?  Why can’t this holiday just be about loving this country, no matter who you are?

And to the gentleman in the Caddy – remember, it’s only been about 6 decades since the end of WWII, and discrimination against Italians began to decline.  That’s not that long ago – it certainly isn’t long enough ago to forget what it means to be an immigrant in America.