By Journal Staff
The Revere Human Rights Commission (HRC) held its regular monthly meeting last Thursday, October 2, in the City Council Chambers. On hand for the session were Chair Chaimaa (Shay) Hossaini, Albert Tecci, Sheila Johnson, Kourou Pich, and the HRC’s Executive Director, Steve Morabito, who is the city’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
The session began with the members reading the HRC’s Mission Statement:
“The Mission of the Revere Human Rights Commission is to promote human and civil rights and empower all people of Revere by ensuring that everyone, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, have equitable opportunities, equal access, and are treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and justice.”
Hossaini then presented the usual Land Acknowledgement, in which the Pawtucket tribe was recognized as the original holder of the land.
Hossaini and Pich presented a brief update on the HRC’s applications for grants both to the Revere Cultural Council and the Mass. Cultural Council in collaboration with Amelia Viscay, who is the city’s grant-writer.
Johnson also suggested that the HRC might consider collaborating with HRCs in other communities in the presentation of programs.
The main discussion of the meeting centered around the movement to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous People’s Day. Several states and some municipalities (including the City of Boston) have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
President Joe Biden signed proclamations in each of his four years as president to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day to recognize the historical impacts of colonialism on Native peoples.
However, Columbus Day remains an official federal and Massachusetts holiday.
“It’s not as if we’re discrediting or erasing the Italian heritage that has been a prominent part of Revere’s history,” said Hossaini. “How can we make it known at City Hall and in the community to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day as well?”
“We’re not trying to erase a culture, but why don’t we collaborate?” said Johnson. “If we can find fair and common ground, it would be respectful to everyone in the city…. I understand this is a difficult, hard subject, but we must respect other people and it is only fair.”
Pich added, “I would like to have a deeper conversation around that. I like the idea of collaboration, and I also do not want to defeat the purpose, and there is a history to it. We’re looking at a deeper history of the celebration and I would love to invite the community to tell us what it means to them and to others as well, so that we can make an informed decision. I still feel strongly that we should push for Indigenous Peoples’ Day based on the history of America.”
“I know the history of Revere over the past 40-50 years has been connected to an Italian-American identity and that has been very important to the city,” said Tecci. “Previous to that, Revere was a Jewish community and previous to that, it was other cultural groups.
“But cities change over time and countries change over time, and who is using the land changes over time, and that comes with cultural norms and celebrations and differences,” Tecci continued. “When we also know the history of Columbus Day and how it came about, I think educating ourselves is important in understanding that. Previous to the 1970s, it wasn’t even a holiday, not even anything that was celebrated. It was created so that Italians could have their identity holiday like the Irish community has St. Patrick’s Day, which I appreciate, because I think everyone should celebrate their heritage in ways that are connected to their identity.
“Let the course of time do what it does and adapt to the realities of our world and how we’re changing,” Tecci added, “because 50 years ago, whoever was sitting here would be pretty upset about celebrating Italian heritage.”
Hossaini suggested using social media in order to gather information about the community’s feelings on the subject. “I want to hear their story and hear their reasons for wanting to keep that day (Columbus Day),” Hossaini said. “I truly want to hear from both sides.”
However, Johnson suggested going to the Senior Center and “meeting with people face-to-face instead of using social media. I find that if you’re face-to-face and talking with people, they’re more likely to be honest with you and what they really feel. and our seniors are very vocal and very involved.”
“This is a controversial topic,” said Morabito, who noted that he is first-generation-born Italian, “but at the end of the day, it’s about having a thoughtful conversation without putting anyone down and without making people feel as if you’re taking something away from them. Why can’t we share each other’s cultures?”
Morabito also pointed out that the holiday still officially is known as Columbus Day at the state and federal levels.
Pich refocused the conversation. “I don’t want to erase anybody’s culture or celebration. We are talking about the massacre of indigenous people, and stolen land. I love to celebrate Italian culture. It’s very rich. But we’re talking about Columbus. Who is Columbus? I would love to have that conversation because we’re talking about the massacres of indigenous people, who every year are mourning for the people who were lost due to Columbus. That is what we’re talking about.”
“I feel there are a lot more beautiful things that Italian-Americans can celebrate about our culture other than Columbus and a lot of things we’ve given the world and America other than Christopher Columbus,” added Tecci.
Morabito then mentioned that Christopher Columbus’s ethnic heritage reportedly is in question based on a DNA test that was conducted last year.
According to those who performed the test on his remains, Columbus was a Sephardic Jew who likely was born in Spain. They have suggested that Columbus converted to Christianity and said that he came from Genoa, Italy, in order to avoid the persecution of Jews that took place in Spain in 1492 — the year that Columbus sailed to America.
However, those findings remain controversial and many say that the historical record reveals that Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451.
Hossaini also noted that Columbus Day came into existence as the result of the massacre of Italians in New Orleans in 1891.
The lynching of 11 Italians in New Orleans, which is the single-biggest mass lynching in American history, prompted President Benjamin Harrison to declare a one-time national holiday in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to America in an effort to assuage the outrage of the Italian government over the lynchings.
Then in 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day as a national holiday and in 1968, Congress made the day an official federal holiday.
The commissioners concluded the meeting by discussing how to engage Revere High students in the activities and meetings of the HRC, with the members suggesting different ways to meet with student groups. Hossaini said she would look into the issue with school officials in order for the HRC to take a vote on the matter at its November meeting.
