Christopher Columbus was…a hero?

When we toured Santo Domingo on our recent trip to the Dominican Republic, one of the most interesting things we noticed were all the tributes to Christopher Columbus and his family. There were statues, parks, a town square, and even an enormous lighthouse built in his honor, where (controversially) Christopher’s remains are kept. Growing up in America, with what we were taught about Christopher Columbus and his history, we didn't expect to see him so revered! Our tour guides talked about him briefly, but in a positive light. Since our visit, I have watched a few documentaries and videos, and read a few articles, but I still can’t seem to understand why he is so honored knowing what I know.

The Island of Hispaniola, later known as the Dominican Republic, was the first Island in the Americas Christopher Columbus came to, where he met the native Taino people. One version of his story I heard says he got along great with the natives, and the Taino leader even gave Columbus a crown as a gesture of respect. Columbus seems to have taken this to mean, “Here you go. You’re our leader now!” He took over the country and its resources, tortured and enslaved the natives, and eventually caused the extinction of the Taino people. However, some resources say the slaves were treated well, almost equally, owning and working the land side-by-side with their masters. So, in that case, I could imagine they would be grateful for the opportunity of a better life (or perhaps the opportunity not to die?). This was not so in neighboring Haiti, which is a whoooole other story! I’ve also read that some Dominicans chose not to speak ill of Columbus out of superstition that it will bring bad luck.

A large population of the locals in the Dominican Republic are of mixed race and are VERY proud of their Spanish heritage. In fact, the Black people don’t think of themselves as Black, instead calling themselves “Indio”, stemming from the word indigenous. This also may have something to do with their brutal dictator, Raphael Trujillo. He was mulatto himself but believed he was white. He ruled in the 1930s and exterminated over 50,000 Haitians during his rule. Another interesting thing we learned while we were there is the current intense racism between the Haitians and the Dominicans which resulted from this leadership.

At any rate, I feel like there is a lot of the history of the Dominican Republic that has been lost, ignored, or maybe even covered up, and it’s hard to get a definite answer about Columbus’ influence. But after learning a little more, I can now see why the car went completely silent when I said to our tour guides, “Yeah...that Columbus guy...what a jerk, huh?”