I always regard Thanksgiving as one of my favorite holidays. The old, scratched up wooden table with the used, stained, white table cloth placed haphazardly on top of it, all overshadowed by the heaps of home cooked food. Finally, the hours we spent earlier that day slaving away in the kitchen come to fruition as we get to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. The creamy fried corn, and green bean casserole represent the southern United States culture of my great grandmother, the place she called home before she moved to Las Vegas. Every year, on Thanksgiving, she made these foods with her family. Once she was older and began to have her own life, she moved to Las Vegas. One of the only things to stay with her was the food that she prepared with her family every year, the tradition of Thanksgiving in her home in Texas. When she had children, she taught them how to cook these special foods. Together they cooked Thanksgiving dinner, just how she used to with her parents. These recipes kept getting passed down in this way, and I now make these dishes with my great grandmother every Thanksgiving. Although these dishes do not have feelings or emotions themselves, they carry the sentiment of family tradition within them. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I can experience the culture and love of my great grandmother, and by extension my entire family, through the time we spend making and enjoying Thanksgiving dinner.

– Ayden Bybee

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more