I walked into the Seville Cathedral, in 1998, and, unprepared, found myself face-to-face with Cristoforo Colombo’s tomb. History classes had taught me he had “discovered” the Americas. My young mind could not make sense of how an European explorer could “discover” lands already home to millions of fellow humans. Even a young mind could grasp the implications in the narrative of “discovery” of the Americas: Europeans were superior to Indigenous peoples. After decades of curiosity and formal education, I finally had a chance to say a few words to Colombo’s remains in person. Here is my letter to him.

中文翻译：

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给哥伦布的信：美洲当代海盗

1998年，我走进塞维利亚大教堂，却措手不及，发现自己与克里斯托福罗·科伦坡的坟墓面对面。历史课告诉我他“发现”了美洲。我年轻的头脑无法理解欧洲探险家如何“发现”已经有数百万同胞居住的土地。即使是年轻的头脑也可以把握美洲“发现”叙事的含义：欧洲人比土著人民优越。经过数十年的好奇心和正规教育，我终于有机会对科伦坡的遗体说几句话。这是我给他的信。