Thread by @mattrdebellis

1/x No. Stop it. You CANNOT suddenly claim to be Italian-American one day when it suits your agenda, especially after priding yourself as being a member of certain cultures, only when those suit you too. Now, let me just explain why I say this.

https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1447646923243106305

2/x Quite frankly, you have been known to misappropriate cultures with the underlying intention being to spread either hateful rhetoric or an agenda. It is disgusting. Especially on this day, you are using your 1/16 status as an "Italian-American" to push an agenda.

3/x My great-grandparents and grandparents all came from Italy around the time of World War II. They went through several fights to get here. They came for the betterment of their families' lives; to support and uphold themselves in the midst of economic despair.

4/x Now, let's list some of those fights. A Nazi shot my great-grandmother Anna, during the early stages of war. In front of my grandfather, Mario. My other great grandfather, Philip, fought against the Nazis from that point on. He was put into a POW camp.

5/x Great-grandfather Philip was only freed by the Americans by the end of the war. My grandfather on my mother's side, Nat, was paraded on a tank for his blond hair, and blue eyes, taken against his will, by another Nazi, who proceeded to shoot his dog in front of his eyes.

6/x My grandmother, also on my mother's side, had her family exiled from Italy just a few months before her birth, to make room for Mussolini's camps & military. She was born in Tripoli, while her siblings were taken to one of Mussolini's "education" camps.

7/x My great-grandfather, Henry (born Enrico), had moved out of Italy before World War II, seeking to build a better home for his pregnant wife. He was cut off from his wife by the war. He never met my grandfather Nat until he was 9.

8/x This all brings me to my point. Italian-Americans in this country did not come to America to revere Christopher Columbus. He was a sailor hired by a monarchs, and committed atrocious acts on his own accord. He did not, and does not, represent the culture you misappropriate.

9/x Regardless of the false representation you attempt to bring to the Italian culture, I think we should discuss a more important, overarching issue that we unfortunately have in this country, yet no one wants to amend.

10/x If you understood U.S. History, you would understand that for several reasons, "established" Americans seem to not take lightly to immigrants. I will be continuing with the Italian example. When Italians arrived in this country, they were persecuted.

11/x In fact, Congress would pass legislation to block immigration, [Emergency Quota Act, 1921, & Immigration Act, 1924] designed to block immigration from regions outside of Northern Europe. à la, people from which nativists disapproved.

12/x In fact, these nativists had such power since the beginning of immigration, that they virtually got away with the New Orleans lynchings, of March 14, 1891. Hatred, and prejudice would prevail that day.

13/x As I begin to close my statement, let me just state that this is in no way to draw from the difficulties of others in the United States. Hatred and prejudice have affected several peoples who have come to this land of opportunity.

14/x This is meant to state is that a person who has committed violence on massive levels is not the person we should be looking to for cultural pride, nor should someone who has previously never participated heavily within the Italian culture attempt to politicize it.

15/x There are several other prominent Italians who have major contributions, some of which are greater than Christopher Columbus, such as Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the Americas are named, Galileo Galilei, the "father of modern science," or even Marco Polo. The list is infinite.

16/x You could even dive into Italian-Americans, not only those from the Peninsula. Everyone loves Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, and so many others who have actually contributed something of happiness to society. There is no need to focus on this one man.

17/17 Italian-Americans do not need Christopher Columbus to recognize our contributions. There is so much we have done and have yet to do, and we can start by removing a false idol. Culture should not be politicized, which is why I condemn you for attempting such a feat, Cruz.

@niaforg, my grandparents were/are (some passed, some still living) fervent members of your organization. They made it known to me that their culture had meaning and shared that for recognition and joy, not hatred and discrimination. It is time to move away from Columbus.

Actually, I feel it appropriate to tag more prominent Italian-Americans. @SpeakerPelosi, @BillPascrell, @MarkAmodeiNV2, please, share your views with me on this topic.

@ProjectLincoln can we please remove this man from the Senate, I will gladly join any campaign effort you create by his next election period.

cc: @LincolnWatchman, @JDCocchiarella, @TexasHDC, @texasyds, if you could all read this thread, I would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry--have to make a slight correction in the family tree. It was actually my great-grandfather Benedetto who was the POW, freedom fighter. But that isn't to understate the struggle of my great-grandfather Philip as a single father, after his wife, Anna, was killed by a Nazi.