Was Chris Columbus bus really a hero?

Encouraging students to learn all they can about their heritage, Angela Jorge, assistant professor of Hispanic Studies at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, discussed the impact of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America, noting that Columbus is not a hero to all people. Jorge began her speech, entitled "Is Columbus Really A Hero? - Reflections of a Hispanic Woman," by sharing her impressions on the upcoming 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. "What was the impact?" she asked rhetorically. "If Columbus had not come [to the New World], what might have happened?" Jorge then related Columbus' personal background and the results -- both positive and negative -- of the European presence in the Americas. Jorge said that one negative aspect of Columbus' discovery frequently overlooked is that it led to the enslavement and mistreatment of American Indians who were already living in the "New World." In her closing remarks, Jorge said that she hopes that all people make an effort to learn about their own background and heritage. "All people should really learn about what it means to be a New World person," she said. "I'm not questioning whether [Columbus should be a hero]. Everyone must come to terms with that on their own." Jorge said that there is an effort to create a curriculum in schools so that the contributions of people of all races and colors will be taught with equal consideration. "[There is a] great deal of conflict about implementing that kind of curriculum, but the effort is there," she said. A short question-and-answer period followed the speech, in which students asked Jorge to clarify some of the terminology she used in her speech. Most students at the speech said that it was very interesting and informative. Wharton senior Ileana Garcia said that Jorge brought up many "insightful" points and that she was pleased that students of all ethnic backgrounds attended the event. Jorge's speech was part of Latino Awareness Week.

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