On this Thanksgiving, we hear from English-language learners about their first Thanksgiving celebrations. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for a Thanksgiving-themed Main Street Eats.
Transcription - First Thanksgiving Celebrations
It is Thanksgiving -- a day when we gather to talk about thankfulness. Today we are going to share an episode from Zoomix Radio on people who are experiencing Thanksgiving for the very first time.
This is Elias. I am from El Salvador. Thanks for listening to our radio show Gratitude Across Borders.
We are a student from East Boston High School. We are immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. We are learning English.
My name is Jocelyn. I am from El Salvador.
You'll hear about our first time celebrating Thanksgiving, what we are thankful for, and how we celebrated Thanksgiving in our own countries. Also interviews and songs about gratitude and thank you letters. First we will listen to Jorge interview Vanessa about her first Thanksgiving celebrating in the United States.
How did you celebrate your first Thanksgiving?
It was beautiful because almost all of the family was there. We were united giving same for everything that we have.
What did you like most about the celebration?
All of my family was there for the first time together.
Next we will listen to Jefferson, Eduardo, Glendy and Jocelyn talk about what they are thankful for.
I thank God for everything he has given me. For me help, for me work, for my students, for the wonderful parents he has given me. And because they have given me everything I need.
Thanks to my parents and to God now we live in this country.
I thank God for being here with my parents. I am also grateful to my parents for bringing me help and giving me the opportunity to have a better future. I am also thankful to my teacher for helping me to learn English.
I am thankful to God because he let me reunite with my mother again after nine years. Without seeing her I miss her love because she has given me everything I need. Without her there wasn't anyone to help me in difficult moments.
Who could make me smile?
I give thanks to my parents. I miss my parents a lot. They are the reason why I keep fighting and why I can continue forward to be able to help them too.
Now Allison will sing a song of thanks.
I chose this song that is about gratitude to God when I was a girl. I listened to it at home and at church. It's called Thank You My Lord
No sabré agradecerte lo que has hecho por mí. Solo puedo darte ahora mi canción. Gracias, gracias Señor.
Gracias mi Señor Jesús.
But how do we express gratitude if we don't have as beautiful a voice as Allison?
Marlene will ask Josue and Bianca how they do it.
How do you say thank you to others?
I give thanks with a big smile. I hope we are well for my parents and return a favor.
I thank others by behaving well and being nice. That why I say thanks depends on the favor that someone does for me.
How do you notice any difference between countries in how gratitude is expressed?
In my country, I think it's good with more caring and friendliness and R&D. United States is more simple. People only say thanks nothing more.
In my country, I handshake show gratitude. For example, in the United States, people shake hands and are friendly.
Thanksgiving is new to us, but we also celebrate thanks in our own countries. Here is Marian Douglas and your song.
What is a celebration of thanks in your country?
In El Salvador, Mother's Day is celebrated the 10th of May. How is it celebrated? Expressing more love than I usually do.
Giving her a gift like a present, a dress, or a cake. What do you give thanks for? For having brought me to the world and for having let me be the person that I am until now.
What is the meaning of the song? I feel for my mother in my heart. The song is by Pedro Fernandez.
What is a celebration of thanks in your country?
In my country, El Salvador, we celebrate Independence Day.
How is it celebrated?
With a parade of people in all of the roads of El Salvador, local cooking, and traditional dancing.
What do you give thanks for?
For the independence of El Salvador. In El Salvador, Father's Day is celebrated on June 15.
How is a celebration?
In our family, we celebrate Father's Day together. The party was for three dads, my two grandfathers, and my dad. In general, we would go to celebration on the beach or in my house.
What do you give thanks for? We are thankful that our father is alive and in good health.
We regret to inform you that sometimes we should have shown more gratitude. Now we hear an interview with your Ali about this.
What is a situation in which you should have been thankful but you weren't?
I regret not having been thankful to my sister because I was very rude when she was telling me something. I didn't have the opportunity to tell her how much I loved her before she died two years ago.
What is a situation in which you should have been thankful but you weren't?
I regret not having been thankful to my sister because I was very rude when she was telling me something.
I didn't have the opportunity to tell her how much I loved her before she died.
I regret not having been thankful to my sister because I was very rude when she was telling me something. I regret not having been thankful to my sister because I was very rude when she was telling me something.
And to finish our show, we have thanked you letters, many greetings to people across borders.
Hi little sister, how are you? I hope I gave you the following. I love you, I want to tell you that I miss you a lot.
I am counting the days until I can return to see you and the whole beautiful family again. The truth is that it makes me cry to think of having left you. I miss you and hope that you are reading this.
Hopefully it makes you happy to read this. I love you, Sebastian.
Dear Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, I am thankful to you for having let me come to this country with my dad. I am thankful to you for dealing with the papers to let me come here with my dad. And I hope to return Honduras to see your son.
Love, Samir.
Dear Mom, I give thanks to you because you have been with me all the times that I have needed. You have been there seeing my first fall when I was a baby. You are always there when I am sick.
You have taken care of me. You have stayed up with me many nights. Mom, I love you.
You are one of a kind. Thank you for having me in your belly for nine months. I love you, Marlene.
Dear Mom, I have not realized many things because I was always focusing on what I did. I did not have food, not ice cream. I am lucky because I have good health.
A sheltered bed to sleep at night. A beautiful family. The opportunity to study.
A peaceful life. I thank you. Love, Eduardo.
Dear Rosendo, Joaquin, and Mario, thank you to my brother for supporting me every day. You have given me everything that I have needed here in school. You have given me food, a bed, a roof, and a place to live.
You have fulfilled my dreams to be here in the United States. I thank you to my family for supporting me every day. We love Jorge.
Dear Mr. O'Hara, thank you for giving me the opportunity to go to the radio to record programs and also for teaching us. Sincerely, Kevin.
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