Immigrant families learn tradition of Thanksgiving

Another good story about immigrants learning about their new country by taking part in one of the best holidays. DP

By MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

murfreesboropost.com: Is any other holiday more American than Thanksgiving?

Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, not to mention the cranberries, are all essentially American. And the holiday itself celebrates the beginnings of our nation through this food.

Murfreesboro City Schools Community Outreach Coordinator Candy Clifford knows the importance of these foods and traditions. So she decided to use Thanksgiving as a primer for immigrant families as a way to introduce them to American culture.

“Our population is growing in the school system,” Clifford said. “And we think it is important for them to have knowledge of our culture. We want them to feel comfortable in our schools and we want them to feel welcomed, so their kids will do better in school.”

More than 14 percent of students, which amounts to 1,075, in Murfreesboro City Schools, are Hispanic or Asian. And MCS students speak 24 different languages; including the common Spanish, Lao and French and less common languages like the African Yoruba and Igbo.

Clifford has reservations for 400 English as a Second Language families to attend her ESL Thanksgiving Dinner Monday, Nov. 19 at Black Fox Elementary.

“You don’t realize what a melting pot Murfreesboro has become and you have to keep pace with that especially in our schools,” Clifford said, adding the system has Hispanic, Laotian, Japanese and Muslim families.

“In our schools, these are families that are important to serve,” she said.

This is the first year for the ESL Thanksgiving Dinner, but Clifford has held cooking classes in the past to teach parents the basics of a turkey dinner.
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