Celebrating a Great American Tradition

November 25, 2009 - Posted by Lena Graber

On Thanksgiving we celebrate the harvest with our families and friends, a tradition that grew from an amalgamation of many harvest festivals, and particularly from the story of the arrival of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.  On that ‘first Thanksgiving,’ the immigrant pilgrims were welcomed to America, receiving the generous aid and hospitality of the Native Americans who lived there.  It was a moment of unity, and the inspiration for a treasured American holiday.

Nowadays, those seeking opportunity and refuge must present a visa upon arrival, endure an expensive and protracted process to seek permanent residence or, if papers are not in order, they may be greeted with handcuffs and prison.  

A coalition of advocates for asylum seekers have sent a letter to members of Congress in advance of this holiday season, reminding them that thousands of immigrants, asylum-seekers, workers, parents, and others, will spend Thanksgiving in detention, without their families, awaiting some reprieve from a broken immigration system that is preventing them from living their lives.  The advocates urge Congress, to make reforms to honor our traditions.

 “The pilgrims arrived on these shores almost 400 years ago in search of religious freedom. Centuries later, the Thanksgiving holiday reminds us to honor the core freedoms that continue to make the United States a place of hope and safety for refugees fleeing religious, political and other forms of persecution.” 

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is also reminding lawmakers about separated families and the need for reform.  They are distributing and collecting holiday postcards to deliver to congressional offices.    The postcards show a young boy and his father on the front, with the message on the back:

“Dear Member of Congress: As a person of faith, every day I see the unacceptable consequences of our broken immigration system through the separation of families and the escalation of fear in our congregations and communities. This holiday season, you can help keep families together by supporting comprehensive immigration reform.” 

On Thanksgiving we give thanks for our joys in life, our families and loved ones, our health and homes, our work and our freedoms.  It’s a tradition well-suited to include long-time Americans and new immigrants alike.  It’s also a time to think about those who cannot experience this tradition because of our broken immigration system.  By next Thanksgiving, after Congress has passed comprehensive immigration reform, the refugees and immigrants who are now the victims of our broken system will join us in that wonderful tradition.

Photo by Flickr user Perry G.