Yes Nerissa, We Do Celebrate Thanksgiving
November 24, 2000
By Pravit Kunakemakorn
Last Thanksgiving Day, my youngest daughter Nerissa asked me, “Dad, are we supposed to eat turkey or not? Do we celebrate Thanksgiving?” She began to wonder after one of her friends’ mom asked if we ate turkey to celebrate Thanksgiving. She looked surprised when Nerissa said, “Yes, we ate turkey with Chinese stuffing and Thai dessert.”
Thanksgiving to our family is always a big thing. We never forget to remind the kids what the real meaning of Thanksgiving is, while encouraging them to do something good for newcomers. For the past five years, we have been sponsoring a $1,000 annual scholarship fund for kids from immigrant families to go to college. Hopefully we can continue to do so.
We came up with the idea during one of our Thanksgiving dinners. It all began when my wife and I came to this country 30 years ago. I do not think we would have done so well if it hadn’t been for the help of those who came to America before us, either a few months ago or generations before. With their help and guidance, it was easier for my wife and I to adapt to this new country.
One family introduced us to Thanksgiving by having us over for a celebration dinner. They told us the actual meaning of this holiday and we took it into our hearts right away. What a beautiful way to remember the hospitality of our forefathers. We have celebrated Thanksgiving ever since.
As time went by, the food changed (since we did not like the original stuffing). We modified it by using Chinese stuffing, which suited our taste buds a lot better. We cooked sweet potatoes the Thai way, real sweet, topped with some coconut milk. And we made Thai custard in a little carved pumpkin instead of baking pumpkin pie. It looked different from the original menu but the spirit was exactly the same.
There are many, many things for which we are thankful. When we first came to this country as students, my wife and I were still dating. We often went to the United States Information Service Center because it was the only place that had air conditioning and one of the few places that had welcomed us. It didn’t matter if we went there to read, do homework, prepare for the upcoming examination or just nap.
There were all kinds of books at the center. One day, I read an article about a judge who said he would rather let 100 felons free than prosecute one innocent person. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Wow! Is that for real? What a beautiful law.
Back home, from what I knew, whoever had influence or money could get away with a crime. It didn’t matter whether he was guilty or not. After 30 years in this country, I understand that money and influence are still very powerful everywhere. You can buy a soul with it.
I also read about a leader in an Asian country who said that he would rather kill 1,000 innocent people than let a communist escape. I guess these kinds of things do happen in some places. I am happy to be in the United States because the laws here protect the majority of us. I feel lucky to be able to call this land home.
Over the years I came to own a very satisfactory medical practice and my wife has a small, nice pharmacy of her own in Northern California. We raised three children there. They all went to public schools. All got involved in different school activities. I can’t remember how many carpools, car washes, parent meetings and donations we participated in. The two elder ones have already graduated and are on their own. The youngest is a junior at a nearby college and will be graduating soon. They all grew up to be responsible and socially concerned citizens. That accomplishment gives me a feeling of success, happiness and wealth — not money wise, but spirit wise.
We live in a peaceful country because we have a stable political system and a very strong military force that not only protects our country but also assists the rest of the world to keep peace and protect democracy. It is a nice feeling to know that.
But of course, not everything nor everybody we encounter is perfect or ideal. One must be out of their mind to think so. We meet a lot of people who we would rather not meet, and encounter a lot of incidents we now regret. That is the truth of life.
Thanksgiving is a unique American tradition — for every American and all people who live here. No matter what color your skin is, we all have some things to be thankful for. I bet if the first group of people who met the native Americans were not white but of some other color or race, they would have been treated in the same way, and would have also sat down to a dinner of thanks. The Thanksgiving tradition does not belong to any specific ethnic group. Kindness, friendliness and hospitality do not choose color, sex or race.
Are we supposed to eat turkey to celebrate Thanksgiving? Why not? It is good to appreciate the nice things other people have done for you and hopefully, you can do something good in return. Keep this spirit going and we can make this land more beautiful.
So here Nerissa, this is my answer: “Yes, we do eat turkey. We do celebrate Thanksgiving and we do have a lot to thank for.”
Pravit Kunakemakorn is a retired physician living in Northern California. This year, he and his family will enjoy Thanksgiving turkey with Chinese stuffing and Thai dessert.
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