Immigrants Interpret America's Thanksgiving Celebration

 

By Faiza Elmasry

Americans often date the nation's annual Thanksgiving holiday back to a feast held nearly 400 years ago, when English settlers in what is now Massachusetts gathered together to thank God for their successful harvest and for the freedoms and opportunities available in what they called "the new world." Today, new settlers to America are celebrating their own versions of Thanksgiving, as they also give thanks for food, freedom and opportunity.

Chinese American Wan-Lee remembers her first Thanksgiving, more than 15 years ago, as an amazing experience. She was an exchange student, and her American host family invited her to join their Thanksgiving dinner. "I had never had any Thanksgiving before I came to America...so it was a very striking experience for me. First, everybody around the table held hands, include of me of course. I had never been holding hands with a lot of so-called foreigners. They said prayers. It was a very warm feeling, when all the family came together. I was part of their family. To me, it was the first time I learned that Thanksgiving is about family."

The chance to get together with family and friends also appeals to Manal Ezat, a 40-year-old Egyptian American. "It's a good chance for us to get together and create our own second family away from our original families. And it's an opportunity of course to thank God for all the blessings¹ He has provided us with here, in our homes and with our families."

Celebrating Thanksgiving is one of the American traditions Zeba Khadom says she adopted when she emigrated from Afghanistan more than 20 years ago. "It means a lot to me. Because I was raised in a society which is very traditional, and in a family that believes in good traditions. Traditions make the society and family stronger. I like Thanksgiving because this is the time that people can sit together and share ideas."

For Haitian American Ronald Cesar who came here two decades ago, going to church is an important part of Thanksgiving Day. "We go to a church service on that day because this is one of the most cherished holidays for us Haitian Americans. Remember, we come from a troubled land. Haiti always has some kind of political problems, one after another. And here we are in this homeland, benefiting from all the freedoms this country has to offer, all the opportunities."

The traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes dishes like mashed² potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberry³ sauce, pumpkin⁴ pie and, of course, the centerpiece turkey. People of different ethnic⁵ backgrounds say it is easy to both prepare and combine with recipes from their native cuisine⁶.

"Usually we cook turkey. I prepare it the American way. The only thing I add is my own spice, the Haitian spice."

"I like fish, shrimp⁷ or lobster⁸ on top of the traditional Thanksgiving menu."

"I start with the turkey, the stuffing, and the trimmings and of course add our basic rice dish that always has to be on the table."

"I cook Afghani food like qabli palau, mantoo, and sabze chalou on top of the turkey and other things."

There is something about Thanksgiving dinner that makes it appealing to people of all ethnic groups. According to sharp cooking instructors⁹, Jill Prescott, "It's very adaptable¹⁰ because everybody, I think, loves poultry¹¹. Potatoes and poultry are very universal. People have their own adaptation of how to do the turkey and the stuffing is very universal as well. And it's that wonderful diversity about this country that allows us to have those extra wonderful recipes." The ritual of eating together, Jill Prescott says--just like saying prayers at Thanksgiving dinner--is an important expression of gratitude¹² for the opportunity to enjoy the good harvest and the good company.
注释：
feast 节日，盛宴
cherished 珍爱的
Haitian 海地的
mashed potatoes 土豆泥
sweet potato 甘薯
cranberry sauce 酸果曼沙司
centerpiece 餐桌中央的摆饰
cuisine 烹调风格
lobster 龙虾
stuffing 填塞料
trimming 清理缝隙
poultry 家禽
gratitude 感谢的心情

1 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 mashed   

a.捣烂的

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。

3 cranberry   

n.梅果

参考例句：

• Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
• Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。

4 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

7 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

8 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

9 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

10 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

11 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

12 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。