Honoring Heritage, Building Community: How UNICO KC Keeps the Spirit of Columbus Day Alive in Modern America

In 2025, Columbus Day in the United States will fall on Monday, October 13. Traditionally, the holiday commemorates Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage to the Americas, and is observed as one of the nation’s federal holidays, with many government offices closed for the day.

Over the years, Columbus Day has also become a way for Italian American communities to celebrate their heritage, culture, and contributions to the United States. However, the holiday is also increasingly contested: many recognize that Columbus’s arrival marks the beginning of sustained colonial violence against Indigenous peoples, and so alternative or coexisting observances such as Indigenous Peoples’ Day are growing in adoption across cities and states.

Looking for a faster trade rout to Asia, Christopher Columbus discovered America...

Against this complex backdrop, UNICO KC (the Kansas City chapter of UNICO National) serves as a positive representation of immigrant legacy and community impact today. UNICO National is the largest Italian-American service organization in the country, and its Kansas City chapter works locally to promote Italian heritage, support education through scholarships, and contribute to civic and cultural initiatives. For instance, UNICO KC has collaborated on a project to place a monument honoring Italian immigrants in Columbus Park in Kansas City — an effort that consciously acknowledges the lives, stories, and perseverance of immigrant families who made Kansas City their home.

Italian Immagrants about to become Americans with Lady Liberty welcoming them...

What makes UNICO KC’s work particularly meaningful today is how it situates the immigrant story not just as a point of nostalgia, but as a living force in contemporary civic life. By championing educational access, cultural visibility, and community service, UNICO KC helps ensure that descendants of immigrant families continue to contribute to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of Kansas City. In doing so, it uplifts the immigrant narrative as one of resilience, creativity, and civic belonging — countering stereotypes and helping newer generations see themselves as part of a shared American story.