International Students Embrace America’s Thanksgiving

26 November 2010

Nazran Baba (second from right), a Sri Lankan sophomore at American University, eats with guests from many backgrounds. “Everyone comes together at Thanksgiving,” he said. (Photo: Courtesy Photo)

By Lauren Monsen
Staff Writer

Washington - Shilpa Surendran of India recently earned a graduate degree from American University and is proud of that accomplishment. But Surendran also takes pride in her status at Thanksgiving dinner, which has moved from curious guest to full participant in meal preparation.

Her introduction to American culture has been gradual. Surendran recalls spending her first Thanksgiving as a student with her American aunt and uncle. Her aunt prepared an Indian dish in addition to traditional American fare. "I didn't know what a wonderful spread it would be," she said. "It was a very cozy gathering. We ate and talked." The following year, Surendran's Thanksgiving was hosted by a Korean-American friend who did all the cooking.

But at this year's Thanksgiving, hosted by a friend from Georgia, Surendran will cook. "I'm going to make a cornbread stuffing with jalapenos and sausage," she said. "I'm really excited to cook this and have something that people can share."

Surendran's experience is not unusual among international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities. Many join classmates, professors or American relatives for Thanksgiving, a U.S. holiday observed on the fourth Thursday in November and traced to a 1621 harvest festival in New England, at which pilgrims and Native Americans feasted and gave thanks for surviving the brutal winter. President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.

"Thanksgiving is truly the American holiday that celebrates the value of sharing," said Susan Schneider, a German student at American University in Washington. Ever since her 2006 arrival at the university, Schneider has spent Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with the family of her friend Prema William, whose parents are first- and second-generation Americans. The family's roots are in India, and when guests arrive for Thanksgiving, "the grandma wears a sari," Schneider said. But the menu is classic Thanksgiving fare: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

The communal nature of Thanksgiving appeals to Verónica Roca of Colombia, a senior at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Last year, Roca observed the holiday with friends, including a student from Peru. "We didn't know how to prepare a Thanksgiving meal," she said. "We just improvised." But everyone helped. "That's the best thing about Thanksgiving - everybody has a role; everybody is involved."

To make sure no one feels left out, many universities and colleges arrange a special meal for students remaining on campus during Thanksgiving. At Amherst, nearly 100 students will enjoy a free, traditional Thanksgiving dinner catered by a popular local restaurant, said Jessica Mestre of the Dean of Students office, which sponsors the event. Mestre also plans other activities for what is a weeklong break from classes, including a bowling night so students can get to know each other.

Yale University takes a different approach. It matches students with local families who want to share Thanksgiving. Eighty students participate in the program. "A lot of families like to host people from several different countries to make it truly international," coordinator Amanda Eckler said. "Some try to serve something from the students' countries" as part of the Thanksgiving meal.

Foreign-born guests enrich hosts' lives, not just their menus. Hazami Barmada, who was born in Syria and studies at Georgetown University in Washington, recalls traveling to Arkansas to the home of an uncle for a recent Thanksgiving. At dinner, guests told personal stories, both genuine and embellished. Following the oral literary tradition of Arab culture, she joined in.

"In the Middle East, a lot of occasions turn into story time, and Thanksgiving [is] a chance to do that," she noted. The most memorable stories, Barmada said, were about her father's adventures when he was young. "He used to be known as a troublemaker," she joked, and "apparently, I have taken [on] his character."

Amherst senior Edward Muguza of Zimbabwe - still weighing his options as to where he will eat dinner this Thursday, either with friends in Connecticut or at a local professor's house - spent his first Thanksgiving three years ago with a friend's family in New York. "We went to his grandparents' house, and it was a huge gathering," he said. His next two Thanksgivings were hosted by a college staffer.

"From my perspective, American life is really fast-paced," Muguza said. But at Thanksgiving, "everyone's ready to slow down and relax, and just enjoy the food and the company."

See "Thanksgiving Day a Time for Reflection, Gratitude, Sharing."

America.gov staff writers Phillip Kurata and Louise Fenner contributed to this article.