A New Way to Celebrate Indigenous Day

October 12th is known as Dia De la Raza, the Day of the Race in Latin America. This day marks the day that Christopher Columbus landed in America and changed the lives of the Indigenous people, forever. There is a lot of controversy that follows this day around the world because of the cruel treatment that the Indigenous people faced upon the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Decades later, it was decided by individuals in Latin America that this day will be about honoring and celebrating the Indigenous culture, which many qualities of the Latin community originated from such as the language, the food, the music, the art, and the culture. 

An article written by Siliva Plato lists the ways that Latin American countries celebrate this day in their own unique way. In Mexico, they celebrate Dia de la Raza by, “floral offerings [that] are made in front of the monuments erected in honor of Christopher Columbus, as well as in the Monument to La Raza.” In Costa Rica, “carnivals are celebrated on these dates, such as the one organized every year in Puerto Limón,” and in Peru, they celebrate by hosting “cultural activities that include dance shows and concerts, aimed at vindicating the cultural diversity of the country and understanding how colonialism affected the indigenous peoples of the Americas.” These celebrations sound like a lot of fun, and a beautiful way to pay tribute to a culture that is the root of Latin culture. 

Prior to creating this article, I didn’t know that this day existed. Now, I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn what this day means. I am so moved by the way Latin countries are coming together and teaching others the importance of honor, respect, and inclusion of another culture. It has even inspired me to plan my own celebration for Dia De la Raza this year: I will host a dinner with a group of friends to celebrate this day.