The Bay Area Italian-American community is disappointed by the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue, which has served as a symbol of pride for our contributions to San Francisco and the nation. In fact, the Columbus statue was erected in part to address the fierce prejudice and widespread discrimination Italian-Americans faced in America in the early 20th century.

On Tuesday, in a 10-1 vote, the Board of Supervisors selected a day to honor Italian-Americans and indigenous people. The change was made after members of the North Beach community voiced concerns over the removal of Columbus Day as a locally recognized holiday.