Columbusing Meme Generator

Turn your observations on cultural appropriation into viral hits with our Columbusing meme generator. memeOS makes it simple to layer text over this iconic social commentary template and share your perspective with the world.

Columbusing meme template - Columbusing
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COLUMBUSING MEME MAKER

ORIGIN & LORE

The term 'Columbusing' emerged in the early 2010s to describe the phenomenon of individuals 'discovering' something that has been around for a long time in a different culture and claiming it as a new, trendy invention. Named after Christopher Columbus’s 'discovery' of the Americas despite the presence of indigenous populations, the meme highlights the absurdity of rebranding traditional practices—like eating congee or wearing silk bonnets—as modern lifestyle hacks. In digital spaces, the Columbusing meme serves as a sharp tool for social commentary, critiquing the erasure of cultural history and the mechanics of cultural gentrification by media outlets and influencers.