Poll Shows Majority of Americans – Including Californians – in Favor of Columbus Day

K of C-Marist poll reveals broad popularity of explorer

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – Most Americans – including a majority of Californians – have a positive view of Christopher Columbus and support the holiday in his honor, according to a recent Marist poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus.

By more than two to one, most Americans (62 percent) expressed a favorable opinion of Columbus himself. Only 29 percent view him unfavorably.

When asked whether they think it is a good idea to have a holiday named for Columbus, 55 percent of respondents nationwide said yes, only 37 percent said no.

In California, where the City of Los Angeles is considering changes to its Columbus Day observance, 57 percent of respondents view Columbus positively and only 29 percent view him negatively. In addition, by a wide margin, most Californians support the current Columbus Day holiday (53 percent to 38 percent).

"The Knights of Columbus joins a majority of Californians in celebrating Columbus Day and opposing unfair efforts to erase his holiday," said California Deputy Supreme Knight Sonny Santa Ines. "As new scholarship on Columbus shows, this man has been slandered and unfairly blamed for everything that occurred after he arrived on this continent. He was a man ahead of his time, and policy decisions should not be based on a mythology that does not square with the facts."

The survey of 1,005 adults was conducted Dec. 1-9, 2016, by the Marist Poll and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the continental United States were interviewed on either landline or mobile phones using live interviewers. Results are statistically significant within ±3.1 percentage points. The error margin increases for cross-tabulations.