What October 12 Is Called in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and More — Why None of Them Call It "Día de la Raza"

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 13: Julian Martinez and Mary Amber Martinez (L-R), of Oglala Lakota descent, participate in a ceremony to commemorate Indigenous Peoples' Day on October 13, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Denver passed legislation this year to honor Indigenous Peoples' Day, rather than Columbus Day, as an official city holiday, and celebrated the first observance of this day with Coloradan Indigenous ceremonies, traditional dances, and musical performances. (Credit: Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

At least four Latin American nations wake up to a national holiday today, October 12, 2026 — and not one of them still uses the phrase Día de la Raza.

For more than 65 million Latinos living in the United States, where the federal government observes the second Monday of October as Columbus Day per the current official calendar, the fracture over how to name and observe this date cuts directly into questions of identity, memory, and whose version of history gets centered in the public square.