John García is a research professor at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. His research interests are minority group politics, especially Latinos; political behavior; political mobilization; urban politics; social survey research; and public policy-health. He wrote Latino Politics in America: Community, Culture and Interests.

Carolyn Chen is an associate professor in the ethnic studies department at the University of California, Berkeley, whose research interests include religion, ethnicity, immigration and sociology of work.

Suzan Shown Harjo, who is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, is president of the Morning Star Institute, a national Indian rights organization. She helps Native Americans regain the land that was taken from them, and preserved many sacred places.

Mike L. Graham, who is Cherokee, is founder of United Native America, which is working to abolish Columbus Day and create a federal national holiday for Native Americans. The online holiday petition which he started has more than 63,000 signatures.

Read an Oct. 10, 2005, Democracy Now transcript about activism for Indigenous Peoples Day.

Journal/islam is a program through Michigan State University’s School of Journalism. The goal of the IMAJE project  is to develop with and for journalism faculty a  nuanced perspective on Islam, Muslims, and Muslim societies that will generate more accurate reporting.  It is not intended as an exhaustive resource on Islam and Muslims.  Rather, this website […]

The National Council of Churches adopted a resolution called “A Faithful Response” in 1990 calling the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ first landing and “the painful aspects of the American history of racism.”

Read a History article about the history behind Columbus day and what it means to Americans today.

Read a March 6, 2011 article about the “quintessential American issues of free speech and ethnic pride” against the Columbus Day parade debate in Denver, Colorado.