California and the Erasure of Junipero Serra's Legacy

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top California political figures are notably silent on a big cultural issue roiling Hispanics, Native Americans, and the Catholic Church, even last week when it was commanding the media spotlight in the state. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, President Biden's stalled choice for ambassador to India, announced the renaming of Father Serra Park, located across the street from Union Station in the heart of the city. Garcetti timed the event to what is now officially known in the city as Indigenous Peoples' Day, but still Columbus Day to the federal government.