Welcome to the most hotly contested holiday of the year.

You would think by now that things would have settled into a groove. And to some degree they have. The United States calls it Columbus Day, and the large Italian population in this country ensures that in most major cities there’s a pretty big turnout for a parade. In Latin America, things are a little more politically correct, and the day is known as Dia de la Raza, or Day of (various) Race, to celebrate both the European and Indigenous impacts on those areas. In Argentina, they water things down even further, with Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural. And many South American countries play it safe and just go with Dia de las Americas.

But 521 years after the beginning of the conquest of the New World, Columbus’ legacy continues to be argued across the hemisphere. In South America, Dia de la Raza started out as a celebration of various races – most notably European and Indigenous but to also include African and Asian – but has increasingly become a protest against European exploitation of Native peoples. And, in an interesting twist, starting in the 1960’s in the United States, Dia de la Raza was co-opted by Latin American immigrants to serve as a protest for their rights in a world ruled by white northern Europeans.

In 1990, 350 representatives from various indigenous peoples met in Quito, Ecuador to mobilize against the quincentennial celebration of Columbus Day. They were supported in 1992 by the United States Council of Churches, which declared, “What represented newness of freedom, hope, and opportunity for some was the occasion for oppression, degradation and genocide for others.”

From that point on, the re-working of Columbus Day as an equal-opportunity protest against exploitation has been simmering across the hemisphere. In 2002 in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez renamed the holiday Dia de la Resistencia Indigena, and two years later, on October 12, 2004, Columbus’ statue in the central square of Caracas was torn down and abusive graffiti sprayed on its pedestal.

That sentiment is more widespread – and much closer to home – than you might think. In Hawaii, they have displaced Columbus’ discovery of America with a celebration of Polynesian discovery of the islands, and renamed it Discoverer’s Day. In South Dakota, the day is now known as Native American Day. Nevada and Iowa go with basic Columbus Day proclamations but have no holidays. And in Alaska, they ignore Columbus altogether, no notice, no proclamation, no holiday, no worries.

Geez, what a cultural mess! Luckily, you have an alternative. At least if you live in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Washington or California. There they know their history a little better. And celebrate Leif Ericson Day on October 9.

You betcha.