Assignment task: At first glance, Columbus Day has little to do with the history of race and immigration in America. Yet, as writer Brent Staples explains, the two are inextricably linked, and looking at them in tandem can shed light on changing notions of race in the United States.
Read the article: How Italians Became 'White'
Brent Staples, "How Italians Became White," New York Times, October 12, 2019.
After reading the article, write a 300-500 word response considering the following questions:
Staples writes, "racial categories that people mistakenly view as matters of biology grow out of highly politicized myth making." What does he mean by this? How does the example of Italian immigration to the United States shed light on changing views on race, citizenship, and myths about U.S. history?