San Francisco supervisors have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, saying they want to honour Native American people and condemn the atrocities they suffered.
Los Angeles and Minneapolis are among the cities that already renamed the holiday to celebrate people who were in North America before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The holiday, observed in most U.S. states, falls on the second Monday in October.
Tuesday’s vote in San Francisco upset some Italian Americans who say they’re losing the October holiday meant to celebrate their unique heritage.
The vote was 10-to-1 with Supervisor Aaron Peskin voting no. He represents the historically Italian North Beach neighbourhood.
Supervisor Norman Yee said he hopes the board can find a way to honour Italian Americans.