Thanksgiving: a commemoration of the immigrant

As delicious as turkey may be, Thanksgiving can mean more that tasty food! Read more to find out values we can learn from our American ancestors.

We hear it every year: the classic story of when the Pilgrims and Native Americans worked together to put aside their differences and reaped the plentiful benefits of their harvest on a cool, November night, the story of Thanksgiving. However misrepresented and flawed this seemingly picturesque scene of peace between these two cultures can be, I believe that Thanksgiving commemorates our nation’s immigrants.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated almost four centuries ago, and it was a coming together of American natives and newcomers to celebrate their relationship. As this beloved American holiday approaches, I cannot help but notice the irony concerning the current political climate over immigration reform.

Growing up in a nation so divided on the topic of immigration reform, it seems to me that there are only two sides to take on this controversial issue: you can welcome everyone, or accept no one. Therefore, I find there to be an unfair stigma surrounding those who migrate to the United States from across the world, legally or illegally.
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Now, I am not here to say that we should establish completely free borders, nor that we should build a wall. Instead, I just want Americans to recognize the importance of immigrants in our nation today. Aside from Native Americans, everyone in the United States can trace their roots back to an immigrant. Being a nation that was founded on the principles of liberty and economic freedom, we pride ourselves on the fact that we became who we are today through the hard work and determination of immigrants. I adore the idea of the United States being a place where so many cultures, races, ethnicities and nationalities can join and feel accepted, and I do not want to lose that national virtue.

As we approach the 398th anniversary of what most consider the first Thanksgiving meal, I hope that we can come together not only in our individual families around the dinner table, but also as a country in our harsh political climate. Recognizing the values that the United States was once founded on, I hope we keep in mind the true meaning of Thanksgiving, but more importantly, the true meaning of the being an American. ​