I've always been confused by why Columbus Day wasn't seen as the "hispanic" equivalent of Martin Luther King day (and why they needed to invent Cesar Chavez Day as a substitute). While Columbus himself was Italian rather than Hispanic, his expedition was basically a Spanish one, undertaken by Spain for the benefit of Spain, and which led directly to the Spanish dominance of the southern half of the Americas. If there's a good day to celebrate Hispanic heritage it's Columbus Day.