Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you are well. I recently visited one of our English Language Learner classes, and the lesson was structured around the topic of Thanksgiving. Although this holiday – the most American of all holidays – is relatively new to the two students whose families immigrated from other countries, they spoke about Thanksgiving with familiarity because they both have experiences gathering with loved ones and celebrating with food when they were living in their home countries.
I did not experience my first Thanksgiving until I was in my teens. Thinking back to that day, I remember eating turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce was more of a curiosity than a meal I was looking forward to partaking. Like the two students I visited in the EL class, I enjoyed getting days off from school to be with families, friends, and eating wonderful food like hot pots and dumplings to celebrate the holidays. Food is such an important part of the Chinese culture that instead of greeting each other with “How are you?”, folks from an older generation often say to younger family members or friends, “Have you eaten yet?” Due to the fact that she lives across the Pacific Ocean and I am here, my main mode of communication with my mother is through the internet. To this day, the first words out of her mouth when we connect on Skype are inevitably “Have you eaten?” or "What did you have for dinner?" even though we may be talking mid-morning, in the afternoon, or late at night when the memory of my last meal has well left my consciousness.
We live in a time when there are lots of things for us to worry about and everything we have to do is harder and potentially a source of stress. I hope everyone will take this time of Thanksgiving to put all of that aside and spend time connecting with each other in meaningful ways. Whether the main dish you place on your Thanksgiving table is turkey, hot pot, or pasta, and whether you greet your loved ones with, “Hello” or “Have you eaten?”, I hope you will celebrate this time with genuine love and care for each other. Like the two students I recently observed showed us, we all have been taught how to do that despite the differences that exist among us.
Happy Thanksgiving!
James Lin
Principal
McCall Middle School
