Written by Daffen Perez- Student Journalist
The Student Government Association hosted a Thanksgiving deconstruction on Thursday, November 17th. The event presented an demonstrative opportunity on how different cultures celebrate Thanksgiving.
During the function, various ethnicities and cultures were introduced. Their various ways of celebrating Thanksgiving were celebrated throughout the night.
A large number of students attended in order to learn about different cultures, eat delicious foods, and play staple games such as jeopardy. There were PowerPoint presentations from various cultures explaining how they went about Thanksgiving and the history behind the holiday. The audience was asked a few questions, such as what their family eats for Thanksgiving and what games/questions they ask when they are with their family for the holiday.
There are a couple of key points from the presentation that are worth discussing, such as no two families being alike. Some people eat dinner later than others; for example, the Dominicans’ traditional Thanksgiving dishes are roasted pork, turkey, and potato salad, whereas Palestine’s traditional Thanksgiving dishes are rice, chicken, nuts, and meat. These two cultures’ food is distinct from one another and other cultures. In contrast to other cultures, the traditional American Thanksgiving menu includes roast turkey, turkey stuffing with onions and celery, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
There was a diverse variety of foods during the event, including fried turkey, fritay, corn, cranberries, pernil, baba, and more!
During the Palestinian PowerPoint, it was noted, “Due to a shared oppression under settler-colonialism, it is imperative for Palestinians to recognize that while Thanksgiving offers many wonderful things, it is also inextricably linked to the border tragedy faced by Native Americans.” Palestinians must show solidarity with those fighting settlers in the same battle.”
Over all, the event was educational and entertaining, all the while demonstrating respect for all backgrounds. A major thanks to the SGA for creating this event.