The organization credits the halt in legislation to a viral petition it spearheaded, which garnered significant support. COPOMIAO President Basil M. Russo, along with Tom Damigella of the Italian American Alliance and Andre DiMino of the Italian American One Voice Coalition, led the effort, resulting in lawmakers' email inboxes being flooded with opposition to the bills. Russo argues that efforts to erase U.S. history are divisive and asserts that his organization seeks to provide equitable solutions that benefit everyone in the local community. “We support mutual respect among all ethnicities and races, but this type of erase-and-replace legislation — which is resonating less and less with a majority of Americans — unfairly pits one group against another,” Russo said in a statement. “We want an equitable solution for all, and we’ll continue with our successful advocacy and legal efforts to help achieve a compromise.” Columbus Day, along with statues of Christopher Columbus, has faced increased scrutiny from historians and activists in recent years. Critics argue that the traditional portrayal of Columbus as America’s discoverer does not align with the reality of how he and his men treated the Indigenous populations they encountered. Some have suggested that the elevation of Columbus was, in part, motivated by a desire to create a historical narrative that bypassed England. COPOMIAO has proposed alternative ways to recognize America’s Indigenous population. One suggestion is to designate the day after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The group also advocates for recognizing the entire month of November as Native American Heritage Month, which is already acknowledged by the federal government. Another option they propose is celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day on August 9th, as designated by the United Nations in 1999. “The irony is that Columbus Day was founded by President [Benjamin] Harrison, in part, to encourage greater acceptance of immigrants in the U.S. Today, those who oppose the holiday are also fighting for marginalized groups,” Russo said. “It’s the same spirit of inclusivity on both sides, so there must be a ‘middle ground’ somewhere on this issue.”A suite of bills advancing through the Massachusetts legislature that seek to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day "are now all but dead on arrival," according to the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).
