http://sfbayview.com/2014/11/thanksgiving-and-ferguson-mixed-generation-black-immigrant-familys-holiday-meal/
Thanksgiving and Ferguson: Mixed generation Black immigrant family’s
holiday meal
November 27, 2014
by Nunu Kidane
As thanksgiving approaches, many of us are receiving messages that reflect
on what we should be thankful for.
Coming on the heels of the grand jury decision on Michael Brown, it is
obvious some of us may not be feeling particularly blessed and thankful,
living in a system that threatens our boys – our lives.
It is however a much needed break from work, school and time to spend with
family, community and loved ones. For those who are lucky, there will be
plenty of food to share. Others struggle to afford the bare minimum for
heating and food expenses.
For my community, our Thanksgiving meal preparations are as mixed as our
identities and the stories that find our journey in this country. While my
children expect the Thanksgiving meal to include turkey, stuffing, mashed
potatoes and gravy and other “traditional” staples of their American
identities, it does begin to define what else this holiday meal is for us.
As the family gathers in our home, you can hear English spoken as often as
Amharic, Tigrinia and Swedish. We are Eritreans, many born in Ethiopia, who
have been part of the new diaspora, proud to call ourselves African and/or
African American. The meals therefore include what is traditional to us –
injera and doro watt (hot chicken stew prepared with spices from home),
starting off with Swedish appetizers and finishing with shots of grapa and
Italian deserts.
The older generation generally stays away from the turkey and all American
dishes – perplexed by the notion of mixing sweet cranberry relish with
savory dishes. Our children, however, cannot imagine a Thanksgiving meal
that does not include the “essentials” plus macaroni and cheese, collard
greens, cornbread, baked yams and peach cobbler.
The young are mindful of their heritage and enjoy the injera and stew just
as well as the turkey. When it comes to saying what we are thankful for at
this family table, however, they are cautious not to “spoil” the festive
mood by mentioning their fears and anger about the grand jury decision and
the fire that continues to burn in Ferguson – not just the buildings but
the fire in the hearts of the Black community across this country.
These young boys, born of us to this country, look at images of Michael
Brown and see themselves. They know how real the threat is as they walk a
fine balance of being an African and living as a young, Black man in
America.
They hold their bitterness and anger or whisper them only among one
another, because they know these sentiments don’t resonate with their
parents and older generations. Their immigrant parents continue to hold
beliefs about America as the land that gave them sanctuary when they fled
war. They believe deeply in the ideals America projects of fairness and
justice, and they reject or deny the reality that it is for our Black boys.
Like all families across this nation that mix generations of American kids
with immigrant parents and grandparents, the story is mixed and at times
complicated. There are many who will see this and other holidays as a time
to convene our families and see the value and beauty of who we are as
Americans – despite everything.
Nunu Kidane is an activist who works in Oakland focusing on generational
and diaspora bridge building with transnational dialogue on race and
identity: African Diaspora Dialogues. For more information, visit
www.africandiasporadialogues.net.
Received on Mon Dec 01 2014 - 12:09:10 EST