Mexico City Takes Down Clum

[DesiDucati]

Not sure if this news is political. I feel it’s more educational and historical. It’s about the famous European explorer who made the everlasting mistake of calling Native Americans my people. This mistake really causes lots of confusion when I read American history books. Even the history books in India uses the term Americans Indians for them and Indian Americans or Desi Americans for us. But they are not even Indian and have no cultural connection at all. Why is this wrong name still continuing to teach to every generation?

The Mexico City has taken down their statue of Columbus. I am not familiar to Mexican culture so I am wondering if Columbus is a cultural hero to them or not? I assume he is a hero here in the USA because he has his own national holiday. Is there something similar in other parts of the world?


youtu.be/RpcCFctgYL8

 

[afm199]

Not sure if this news is political. I feel it’s more educational and historical. It’s about the famous European explorer who made the everlasting mistake of calling Native Americans my people. This mistake really causes lots of confusion when I read American history books. Even the history books in India uses the term Americans Indians for them and Indian Americans or Desi Americans for us. But they are not even Indian and have no cultural connection at all. Why is this wrong name still continuing to teach to every generation?

The Mexico City has taken down their statue of Columbus. I am not familiar to Mexican culture so I am wondering if Columbus is a cultural hero to them or not? I assume he is a hero here in the USA because he has his own national holiday. Is there something similar in other parts of the world?


youtu.be/RpcCFctgYL8

To some people Columbus was a hero. To some he was a delusional religious fanatic who tortured and killed indigenous people during his travels, and forced them to adapt Christianity. Even his name is tell tale "Cristoforo" is for "Christ," it's not his real name, which I would have to look up. He really was a massive shit and horrible person, but he did change the course of history. He stated that his mission was to save heathens and turn them into Christians. Another nutbag.

 

[mikev]

neat.

 

[DesiDucati]

To some people Columbus was a hero. To some he was a delusional religious fanatic who tortured and killed indigenous people during his travels, and forced them to adapt Christianity. Even his name is tell tale "Cristoforo" is for "Christ," it's not his real name, which I would have to look up. He really was a massive shit and horrible person, but he did change the course of history. He stated that his mission was to save heathens and turn them into Christians. Another nutbag.

That makes me glad he didn’t arrive at his goal in India. Sadly the Portuguese and British succeeded.

 

[TylerW]

Like the OP, I don't know much about Mexico's appreciation of Christopher Columbus. I'm earnestly surprised he has a statue there at all.

To the best of my knowledge, Columbus is really only largely celebrated here in the US. The reason he has (had) a holiday here was so that Italian Americans could have a figure to celebrate. Most of his celebrated history is folkloric at best, fabricated at worst. He never set foot in this country.

What he did do was navigate poorly, commit brutal acts of genocide, and he helped introduce slavery to the western hemisphere.

Anyhow good for Mexico.

 

[Slow Goat]

It IS odd what is still taught.
Even odder is that neither Columbus or Vespucci ever set foot in what we in the states just call America.
Central America the Caribbean and South America, yes, but not in the “United States”. Don’t remember that being taught THAT in elementary school....
This would lend itself to the “why” of statues in Mexico.

And, yeah, he did horrible things.
Crazy bastard thought he landed in India.
Put the statues in museums.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

Knowing what I know about the history of Mexico, I doubt Columbus is revered by the average person

 

[littlebeast]

i fucking LOVE mexico, especially when you get deep into the heart of it. the history there is incredible, the culture is rich and beautiful, the people are warm, kind and friendly - and the food (sorry - my passion) is absolutely divine. and IMO mexico city is the equal of any fabulous city anywhere in the world.

that said, the country has been exploited from without and within for centuries - and the fact that they are tearing down a monument made in the name of that exploitation is long overdue. IIRC, that statue was essentially a tribute made by one of their own selling out their own country to foreign interests. and it’s a huge credit to them to have pulled it down.

 

[Maddevill]

The Mayans in the Yucatan hate all the so called "Mexicans" They say that they're all Spaniards and are not welcome in the country.

Mad

 

[HappyHighwayman]

From what I can tell Colombus is only a hero to some Italians

 

[TylerW]

From what I can tell Colombus is only a hero to some Italians

He also seems important to people who don't understand history but believe that statues are a significant tool in teaching it.

 

[BURNROPE]

My education about Columbus through the years:

Elementary-1492 sailed the ocean blue and discovered America.

Middle School-He never set foot in America.

High School-He died of syphilis.

 

[YogaJeni]

The Mayans in the Yucatan hate all the so called "Mexicans" They say that they're all Spaniards and are not welcome in the country.

Mad

My husband is second generation Mexican American. We go to Jalisco and Oaxaca for the grandparents to see the kids every few years. I really like it there. His take on it is that he's glad the Spaniards got there before the Chinese :laughing. Not meant to offend, its just a joke.

 

[mrmarklin]

He also seems important to people who don't understand history but believe that statues are a significant tool in teaching it.

He's actually important to people who truly understand history. He did discover America. Regardless of how one feels about him personally, he is a great figure in history.

1492 was a different time and place and the actions of many people of that time offend our 21st century sensibilities. But one must give credit where it is due. He had the vision and perseverance to conquer a new world.

 

[mrmarklin]

It IS odd what is still taught.
Even odder is that neither Columbus or Vespucci ever set foot in what we in the states just call America.
Central America the Caribbean and South America, yes, but not in the “United States”. Don’t remember that being taught THAT in elementary school....
This would lend itself to the “why” of statues in Mexico.

And, yeah, he did horrible things.
Crazy bastard thought he landed in India.
Put the statues in museums.

Quit being so provincial. The Western Hemisphere is known as "The Americas".:wow

 

[Kurosaki]

He's actually important to people who truly understand history. He did discover America. Regardless of how one feels about him personally, he is a great figure in history.

1492 was a different time and place and the actions of many people of that time offend our 21st century sensibilities. But one must give credit where it is due. He had the vision and perseverance to conquer a new world.

He was a piece of shit human, plain and simple.

I don't give a fuck about his vision or perserverance.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Don't tell the Vikings Columbus discovered America... :laughing

The Columbus discovered America narrative actually began with a FICTIONALIZED account written by Washington Irving in the late 1820's. While a popular story it wasn't taken too seriously until Italian immigrants started pouring in the latter part of the century. As they were crapped on by the Irish, the Italian immigrants promoted the narrative as a way to establish an idea they belonged here.

Thankfully America is the one big happy welcoming place it is today! :flag

 

[TylerW]

He's actually important to people who truly understand history. He did discover America. Regardless of how one feels about him personally, he is a great figure in history.

He discovered it in much the same way that a few years ago I discovered that there was a women's forum BARF. Which is to say that I discovered a thing that its own inhabitants had known about for years, and had been known by other non-natives before me.

I guess the analagy falls down in that I managed to discover the women's forum without raping anyone or committing any genocides.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Btw, what's a "Clum"? :dunno

 

[Kurosaki]

Btw, what's a "Clum"? :dunno

Weird typo, like covefefe arty