Thanksgiving en la Frontera

This year marks the first year that I will be away from my friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  While I would surely sacrifice some of the traditions that I have become accustomed to for an opportunity to spend time with those I love most, I will not be boarding a plane to return to the Philadelphia area this Thanksgiving season.  My Día de Acción de Gracias will be spent on the border, in El Paso, celebrating in a much different capacity than that which I have become comfortable with.  It is so easy to take for granted the aesthetic beauty of the change of seasons at its peak.  As the leaves grow yellow, orange, and seemingly infinite shades of red, the flamboyance of the foliage reminds us that Thanksgiving is on its way.  As we prepare to put an extra notch in our belts, supermarkets take pride in stockpiling turkeys that have grown such abnormally sized breasts, it is impossible to imagine any semblance of a normal life for these genetically manipulated beasts.  Cranberries are pushed to their absolute limits, as many store brand purées still bear the imprints of the aluminum can they were packaged in.

Historically, Thanksgiving has been viewed as a somewhat devotional holiday.  We were to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest.  Blessed with a bounty, we felt compelled to share with those whom we loved the most, the family and close friends.  All were invited to give thanks together during this ritual meal provided by the elements of nature.  The roots of this day may be traced through popular culture, which elicits the traditional image of the "Pilgrims and Indians" coming together at Plymouth Rock in joy and harmony, while history suggests that the conquest of the "new world" was not characterized by peace and harmony, rather massive bloodshed and exploitation.  But how can we celebrate amidst such a violation of human rights?  We most certainly cannot disregard the plight of the American Indian, yet the contemporary idea of Thanksgiving transcends this bloody history.  When we join with our friends and family we are not celebrating the conquest of the new world, but the simple beauty of our valued relationships.  We cooperatively give thanks that we care and we are indeed cared about.

So what does Thanksgiving look like on the border?  Stripped of any real change of seasons, El Paso looks much like it did in the heat of the summer.  It has not rained in the past couple of months, so it becomes impossible to conceive of any bounty, with the exception of green chilies.  This is not a holiday widely celebrated by the Mexican culture, yet El Paso's "gingro" roots provide for a reportedly very impressive Thanksgiving Day Parade.  While I am accustomed to my hands numbing because of the frigid Thanksgiving morning air at the Philadelphia parade, surely the short sleeve appropriate desert climate will come as a culture shock.  The Thanksgiving feeling just is not the same when the symbolic change of leaves I am used to has been replaced by the continued presence of ice cream trucks.  Further, the traditional Thanksgiving spread is unattainable to a considerable number of families on the border under the poverty line, living in the shadows.  I never imagined the presence of a 20 lb. turkey on the dining room table as a luxury, yet in parts of El Paso, a turkey becomes somewhat of a status symbol.

Without my family, closest friends, autumn colors, and brisk weather, Thanksgiving will undoubtedly feel different this year, yet sulking would be ignoring the very essence of the holiday.  We are invited to give thanks for our surroundings and all we have been given.  This Thanksgiving, I have an incredible amount to be thankful for.  I am surrounded by a support system which will ensure my safety and well-being, while I am able to truly value my family and friends at home.  I am thankful that I will be with new friends this year, while being able to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner spread that I have become so comfortable with.  Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful regardless of whether the leaves are red or green, whether the temperature is 20 degrees F or 75 degrees F, or whether you are enjoying a deep fried turkey or Dietz and Watson slices.  This is a time to truly cherish those whom we care most about.