Left: "I read about immigrant Thanksgivings. It was about a Korean-American family. The author talked about wanting to be American in a lot of ways. Like the procedure of making the turkey and preparing it. I remember when I was younger my mom and I sitting and watching Food Network and we would jot down the ingredients to make our own Thanksgiving meals. Now that I look back on that memory, it’s a bittersweet memory. That was us trying to be more American and trying to fit in - whatever American means. What’s made me at ease these days is that my sister and I are gonna be home for Thanksgiving for the first time in a year. She asked what we’re going to eat and I said “Korean food” - of course. Thanksgiving is no longer a performance for us and it’s no longer a spectacle and we’re just getting together as a Korean family and we can celebrate being American just as much this way. "
YaleSpeaks - Haewon Ma