Tony Soprano's Advice on Pride Still Relevant as Trump Politicizes Columbus Day

Fans of the groundbreaking TV series The Sopranos will recall the Christopher episode. Most of the primary characters in the program were of Italian ancestry.

Led by character Silvio Dante, the Sopranos crew tried to "persuade" a group of Native Americans not to protest against a Columbus Day parade. The crew was offended because they held Christopher Columbus as an Italian icon, and the holiday was primarily meant as a celebration of Italians in America, and not the explorer per se.

After a violent confrontation between the Sopranos crew and Native Americans, there were no protests at a Columbus Day parade, but emotions on both sides were heightened. Lead character Tony Soprano, who was not part of the crew that created a ruckus, negotiated an uneasy truce after visiting an Indian casino.

Since the airing of that episode in 2002, Columbus Day Parades and celebrations continue in places like New York City. Many cities and states now observe the second Monday of October (or other days) as Indigenous Peoples' Day.   

Social conservatives have attacked the ongoing shift from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Not coincidentally, President Trump has weighed in on the controversy.

On Saturday, October 11 - the original celebration date - Trump signed a proclamation declaring today, October 13, as Columbus Day. Not surprisingly, the President injected politics into the declaration.

The proclamation said in part, "Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage.  Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces. Under my leadership, those days are finally over — and our Nation will now abide by a simple truth:  Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination."

In the years since the Christopher episode, a middle ground has been achieved. Columbus Day, a Federal holiday, is viewed by many as a day to celebrate Italian contributions to the United States, while acknowledging the onslaught of the indigenous people brought on by colonization, primarily from England, France, and Spain.

Now, the President has reopened a wound, albeit a relatively small one, over Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. It is part of his ongoing marginalization of specific groups and pitting one group against another.

In the Christopher episode of The Sopranos, lead character Tony Soprano took a nuanced view on the conflict, telling Silvio Dante his achievements were due to the use of his personal skills.

"Let me ask you a question? With all the good things you have in your life, did they come to you because you're Calabrese? I'll tell you the answer. The answer's no...No you got it because your you, you're smart because you're whatever the fuck. Where the fuck is our self-esteem? That shit doesn't come from Columbus, The Godfather, or Chef fuckin Boyardee."

As you celebrate - or not - Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day (or Dawali), and strange as it may seem, or not, the President could be well advised to follow the lede of the fictional character Tony Soprano. This fictional advice still rings true - strength and self-esteem don't come from clinging to a controversial icon, but from recognizing the vibrant, unique, and invaluable contributions each group makes to the American fabric.

In the interest of full disclosure, my mother and her four siblings' first language was Italian, and my maternal grandparents were born in Italy and immigrated separately to the United States in the early 20th century as unaccompanied teens.