San Diego, CA. Thanksgiving is the holiday in the United States when many of us sit together at the dinner table as family and friends, eat too much turkey and dressing, and give thanks for another year of plenty. Although many Filipinos have assimilated this tradition into their lexicons, many still celebrate the occasion because it is the ‘ American Way ’ minus the part about inviting homeless – the truly needy people to our homes.

Thanksgiving Day 101
        Thanksgiving is an American holiday classic, seemingly untouched by time. As Americans, this is the day we remember the pilgrims -- the first illegal immigrants, you could say. While the first Thanksgiving was certainly held in 1621 in Plymouth , the originators were not the smooth-faced Pilgrims with freshly starched aprons and immaculate suits of popular depiction. They were the hard-bitten survivors of a harsh winter of deprivation, starvation, and disease. They were also the ones who, after improving their lives later took most of the lands from the natives.

        They brought some ideas, like freedom, which most of us value. They did not bring other ideas we have come to need, like tolerance. Roger Williams – a noted English theologian and a strong proponent of the separation of Church and State, disagreed with the majority in Massachusetts over religion. He left the state and established Rhode Island so that he could be free to pursue his lofty advocacies. We have been trying to reconcile these ideas ever since. We believe in freedom, but we do not, cannot believe in uniformity because we have come from so many different places, different religions, different languages, and different cultures. Instead, we are bound together by a Constitution designed to protect those differences, to let us each live our lives as long as we don’t stop our fellow citizens from living their’s.

        We don’t always live by our Constitution, of course. For centuries, some Americans were slaves. Some immigrant groups including Filipinos sought acceptance unsuccessfully for a time. Jews faced discrimination often. Some Asian immigrants still do, and it would be foolish to argue that black Americans share fully in the American ideal. Some like the idea of building walls to obscure Lady Liberty’s beacon for “the tired, poor, and huddled masses” from south of the border.

        But if you’re an optimist, you have to believe we get better at living our Constitution, at being real Americans. Legal segregation ended in the South; black Americans vote and hold high office. So we move forward, in fits and starts, to be sure, and with some violence, though mostly in peace. It’s not a perfect country, but Lady Liberty’s lamp shines brightly enough that others from around the world still want to come and share its light, more immigrants, following those first ones. Maybe that is a reason for thanks.

Filipino Style
        In our earnest to live up to the occasion, we queue with other bargain hunters for the biggest but cheapest turkey in the market. For late shoppers, we look for close substitutes when the celebrated fowl disappears from the frozen section. “Manok, di ba parang turkey din ‘yon?” Add the stuffing and some green garnshings, “voila!” – lusot na!

        We normally spend hours cleaning the house and preparing and cooking the spread of turkey, (or pseudo-turkey), mash potato, yams and apple pie. Invited guests don’t arrive on time but 30 minutes to an hour later – Filipino time. “Kumusta!” – our way of welcoming although we were just talking to them days before. Finally, we find ourselves standing around the buffet table.

        “Who’ll say grace?” hostess asks. Grown-ups look awkwardly at each other in strained silence. Finally Uncle Pepe snickers and parrots the word “grace,” and laughter spills over the tension. Papa steps in. “Claudia, why don’t you say the prayer you learned in Sunday school when you were in kindergarten.” She recites. The feast begins. Embarrassed silence replaces thanksgiving and gluttony displaces gratefulness.

        Thanksgiving--an expression of gratitude to God for benefits received--is too often absent from our hollow holiday. This year, why not pray for our less fortunate kababayans back home and the families and victims of the Sept. 11th terrorist attack and the ensuing counter-attack?

Healthy Lifestyle
        For many, Thanksgiving conjures up so many wonderful thoughts, memorable time spent with family and friends, wonderful smells of food cooking, football games, and the beginning of the holiday season.

        Whatever Thanksgiving means to you, every celebration has one thing in common, food! Optimally our food should be nourishing, meeting all of our body’s requirements; it should be appealing, and it should be free of harmful substances so our kids will grow up “malakas at kapakipakinabang”. Unfortunately most of our food misses the mark dramatically. This year, let’s make our holiday food something really special from Thanksgiving to the New Year and prepare healthy supporting meals for your family and friends to show how much you care for them.

Continued on next issue