Januware watha, pafupifupi zaka 20 zitasindikizidwa, masukulu a Tucson adaletsa buku lomwe ndidakonza ndi Bob Peterson, Kuganizanso za Columbus. Linali limodzi mwa mabuku angapo omwe adatengedwa ndi pulogalamu ya Tucson yokondwerera Mexican American Studies - pulogalamu yomwe nthawi zambiri imayang'aniridwa ndi ndale za Arizona.
Chigawo cha sukulu chinafuna kuphwanya pulogalamu ya Mexican American Studies; bukhu lathu lokha silinali chandamale, linangogwidwa ndi kuphwanya. Komabe, Tucson's-ndi Arizona's-kuukira kwa Mexican American Studies ndi Kuganizanso za Columbus amagawana muzu womwewo: kuyesa kuletsa nkhani zomwe zimasokoneza makonzedwe amphamvu amasiku ano.
Kwa zaka zambiri, ndinatsegula makalasi anga a mbiri yakale a sitandade 11 ku United States pofunsa ana asukulu kuti, “Kodi dzina la munthu amene amati anapeza ku America ndani?” Ophunzira ochepa angatsutse mawu oti “zindikirani,” koma onse amamudziwa munthu amene ndimamunena. "Christopher Columbus!" ambiri adayitana mogwirizana.
“Chabwino. Ndiye anapeza ndani pamene anabwera kuno?” Ndidafunsa. Kaŵirikaŵiri, ophunzira oŵerengeka ankanena kuti, “Amwenye,” koma ndinawafunsa mosapita m’mbali kuti: “Mtundu uti? Mayina awo ndi ndani?”
Khalani chete.
Pazaka zopitilira 30 ndikuphunzitsa mbiri ya US ndi kuphunzitsa alendo m'makalasi a ena, sindinakhalepo ndi wophunzira m'modzi yemwe anganene, "Taínos." Choncho ndimawapempha kuti aganizire mfundo imeneyi. “Tikufotokoza bwanji zimenezo? Tonsefe timadziŵa dzina la munthu amene anabwera kuno kuchokera ku Ulaya, koma palibe aliyense wa ife amene amadziŵa dzina la anthu amene analipo poyamba—ndipo panali mazana a zikwi, kapena mamiliyoni a iwo. Bwanji simunamvepo za iwo?
Kusadziwa kumeneku ndi chinthu chomwe chinachititsa kuti anthu asamakhale chete—kuchititsa kuti anthu asamaonekere komanso nkhani za anthu onse. Izi n’zimene aphunzitsi anayamba kulankhula mofunitsitsa zaka 20 zapitazo, pokonzekera zaka 500 za kubwera kwa Columbus ku America, komwe panthawiyo kunali Chicago Tribune chodzitamandira chikakhala “chikondwerero chapadziko lonse chochititsa chidwi koposa m’mbiri ya zikondwerero zodziŵika bwino.” Amwenye a ku America ndi omenyera ufulu wa anthu, pamodzi ndi aphunzitsi a chikumbumtima, analonjeza kuti asokoneza chikondwererocho.
Pokambirana ndi Barbara Miner, wophatikizidwa Kuganizanso za Columbus, Suzan Shown Harjo wa m’bungwe la Morning Star Institute, lomwe ndi Creek ndi Cheyenne, anati: “Monga Amwenye Achimereka m’chigawo chofiyira ichi cha Mother Earth, tilibe chifukwa chokondwerera kuwukira kumene kunawononga anthu athu ambiri. ndipo akuwonongabe mpaka lero.” Kupatula apo, Columbus "sanangotulukira," adatenga. Iye analanda Taínos, anawapanga akapolo—“M’dzina la Utatu Woyera tipitirizebe kutumiza akapolo onse amene angagulitsidwe,” Columbus analemba motero—ndipo “anawalanga” mwa kulamula kuti manja awo adulidwe kapena kuti athamangitsidwe. kutsika ndi agalu oukira ankhanza, ngati analephera kupereka gawo la golidi limene Columbus anafuna. Mboni ina yoona ndi maso yotsagana ndi Columbus inalemba kuti “zinawawononga kwambiri, chifukwa galu ndi wofanana ndi amuna 10 polimbana ndi Amwenye.”
Mabuku ophunzirira akampani ndi mbiri ya ana a Columbus sanaphatikizepo chilichonse mwa izi ndipo anali odzaza ndi zabodza komanso zosokoneza. Koma vuto lalikulu linali nkhani ya Columbus: Ndibwino kuti mayiko akuluakulu azizunza mayiko ang'onoang'ono, kuti azungu azilamulira anthu amitundu yosiyanasiyana, kukondwerera atsamunda osayang'ana maganizo a atsamunda, kuti ayang'ane mbiriyakale kokha kuchokera kwa opambana.
Kuganizanso za Columbus sizinali za Columbus chabe. Inali gawo la gulu lalikulu lofotokozera nkhani zina zomwe zatsekedwa kapena kupotozedwa m'maphunziro omwe anthu ambiri amaphunzira: kulimbana ndi ukapolo ndi kusankhana mitundu, kulimbana kwa ogwira ntchito motsutsana ndi eni ake, mabungwe amtendere, njira yayitali yopita ku ufulu wa amayi - chirichonse chimene Howard Zinn amatchedwa “mbiri ya anthu ku United States.”
Bill Bigelow adaphunzitsa maphunziro asukulu yasekondale ku Portland, Ore kwa zaka pafupifupi 30. Iye ndi mkonzi wa maphunziro a Sukulu Zopindulitsa ndi co-director wa Ntchito Yophunzitsa Zinn. Pulojekitiyi ili ndi zida zaulere zophunzitsira mbiri ya anthu komanso nkhani za “Tikadadziwa Mbiri Yathu”. Bigelow ndi wolemba kapena wokonza mabuku ambiri, kuphatikiza Mbiri ya Anthu Mkalasi ndi Mzere Pakati Pathu: Kuphunzitsa Za Border ndi Mexico Immigration.