Once upon a time there was a young lady (me) and every year she went to visit her grandmother in Riviera, TX on this day. We never really "celebrated" Thanksgiving because this day is stupid and we all knew it. But we did all get together and pigged out on her yummy tortillas made of yummy manteca One year, the first of many rebellious years, I decided I was making falafel and everyone would eat it. They all indulged me and ate it. After the teen years I started hosting NO THANKS parties. Invited all my nearest and dearest and we partied and ate all kinds of apps ans zerts. That lasted a good number of years. Then I just hated this day and all it stood for. Still do actually. Really really do. I married someone who loves this day and has a family that loves this day. I have dutifully made Turkey and all the fixings for twelve years and had our parents over and it is literally the one day of the year I actually cook.

I still do not like this day. But I thought long and hard about this day today. When I was a kid in school we learned that the Pilgrims came to this country and the "indians" welcomed them and it was celebrated on this day and this is why we give thanks. That seemed to be the party line, but now that I'm an adult with a family of my own I wonder what my kids learn in school and what I as a mom who understands the world and is a free thinking am supposed to be teaching them about this day.

So according to my 7 year old today is about... nothing. He doesn't recall talking about this at all at school, but he also took a nap during journal time so he isn't a reliable source. Cool that's great because it means I don't have to pretend to like some sideways colored pilgrim. But it doesn't really let me off the hook. See this has to be one of the most ironic days ever... especially this November 2012. See according to what I learned in school, these "pilgrims" came over from another country and didn't speak the language and started making homes for themselves but didn't understand the land. So the people that already lived here, instead of forcing them to go back, helped them and taught them how to live on the land. You know that is what we're THANKFUL FOR... right?

So how ironic that two hundred plus years later there are people coming to this country and instead of welcoming and teaching we are punishing and killing? Why is this important? Well I can't in good faith teach my kid this lesson or allow him to think that only some groups are accepted while others are not. But more importantly I need EVERYONE to understand that.

I am Mexican American. I was born here, my parents were born here, their parents were born here and their parent's parents were born here. I am an American in the truest sense of the word because my gene pool has been here FOREVER. We didn't cross an ocean and we weren't forced over here. We are here.

I don't even know anyone from Mexico or have relatives that I know of from there or any other Latin American country. So why do I care? Because it is important. We have to understand that all people that come to this country are not evil doers and are not sinister. They may have different cultural norms, but don't we all? Today for instance means different things to different people.

Another reason this is important to me is because I'm a brown person. The color of my skin, eyes and hair say that I'm not from Europe. So even though my blood was born on this land, at the airport I'm detained almost EVERY TIME I leave DC. I'm lucky enough to be asked if I'm from the middle east or Mexico and if I have papers to prove I can be here. Proof I can be here? I am here and here is me.

I am this land. This land is made from my people, it is the color of my hair, my eyes and my skin. We have welcomed those people from Europe even when they took things away from us, we welcomed those that were forced here and made them our brothers and sisters.

So on this day of thanks I ask everyone to think about me and think about my mom and dad and my 80 plus year old grandparents. All of us work, pay taxes, own property and served this country through military or public service... so why am I questioned on whether or not I belong here and why are those individuals that are the color of this land unwelcome?