I’ve never had turkey for Thanksgiving — a fact that might seem surprising, given that this roast bird, notorious for its dry texture, is such an iconic symbol of the American holiday.
The truth is, instead of the usual spread of mashed potatoes, string bean casseroles and pumpkin pies, my family has always expressed our gratitude with trays of Korean barbecue or paper plates piled high with Argentinian asado. As immigrants, neither of my parents had any decades-old traditions tied to the festivities, and there were even times when we didn’t hold the feast on the official national day. Sacrilegious, I know.
One thing I’m grateful for is knowing that I’m not alone in having unconventional foods on the holiday menu. Here, on the diverse campus of Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech), the influence of various cultures is palpable.
Loren Romero ‘25, who emigrated from Mexico with her family at the age of two, explained how her Thanksgiving dinner varies each year. “This year, we’re having tamales because it’s getting close to the holidays and we have family friends who make them, but we also have a lot of the typical [Thanksgiving] food.” For Romero, incorporating the Mexican Christmas tradition of making tamales with loved ones allows her family to stay connected to their roots while embracing local customs.
Another student, Aditi Shanbhag ‘25, shared how being a second-generation immigrant has shaped her family’s Thanksgiving traditions. She stated, “We usually go down to San Diego to hang out with my cousins, and when it’s just family, [dinner] is usually different kinds of rice and biryanis and stuff — pretty traditional Indian take-out food.”
Foothill Tech’s ethnic studies and social justice teacher, Claire Adams, shared an outside perspective of the orthodox turkey dinner. “Well, obviously, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in England, and so I was kind of surprised when I first moved here that Thanksgiving dinner is basically what British people have for Christmas.” English Christmas dinners include turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, but excludes macaroni and cheese and what Adams described as, “weird pies like yam and sweet potato pie.”
However, Adams brought a critical viewpoint to the festive table as well. She remarked, “Thanksgiving to me, as an ethnic studies and social justice teacher, really is remembering how the English showed up here [as colonizers]. The Indians taught the starving British how to grow maize, and the thanks they received for that was getting wiped out. So, I’m sure they’re not very thankful for Thanksgiving.”
This leads us to an important question, what is the true meaning of Thanksgiving? If we strip away candlelit atmospheres, cranberry sauce and cornbread, and even confront its historical background, what does this beloved holiday ultimately stand for?
In a rapidly globalizing nation, it becomes increasingly difficult to find definitive answers about American society that can encompass an evergrowing immigrant population. Yet, Foothill Tech students gave a simple and unified answer to the aforementioned question: Thanksgiving is about gathering with family and friends.
Hailey Stone ‘26 expressed, “My favorite thing about Thanksgiving time is spending time with my family; I love seeing my sisters all together.”
Lucio Vilela ‘26 also had his own interpretation of the holiday, stating, “I think it’s just to hang out and have fun with friends and family, and to talk all together.”
On the other hand, Dylan Files ‘26 voiced that his favorite part about Thanksgiving was, “the three days off that we get,” a sentiment that, undoubtedly, many students can wholeheartedly agree with.
Of course, many cultures have traditions similar to Thanksgiving. For some, it’s a holiday like Christmas, as Mrs. Adams described. For others, it’s Chuseok, a Korean harvest moon festival honoring ancestors and giving thanks, or Día de los Muertos, which brings families together to celebrate loved ones who have passed.
When I was younger, I often envied my friends’ traditional Thanksgiving gatherings, filled with more family members than I could imagine in one room and laughter pealing from every corner of the house.
But now, I’ve come to realize that the essence of Thanksgiving isn’t about having a picture-perfect meal that conforms to every common tradition. It’s about cherishing those moments with family, and creating new memories. Whether it’s a backyard full of relatives, a table laden with tamales or biryani, or even sharing a quiet meal with close family, Thanksgiving is really about honoring and appreciating the people who bring meaning to our lives.
