Thanksgiving | Graphics by Julia Williams and Lillian Gibbs

Daisy Garcia Montoya

Education Reporter

When thinking about Thanksgiving, traditional dishes such as mashed potatoes, green beans or mac and cheese may come to mind — but what about those coming from Latino households?

Since 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared a Thanksgiving Day proclamation — based on the first thanksgiving meal in 1621, where Plymouth, Mass., colonists invited the Wampanoag to their harvest feast — Americans have gathered annually to celebrate.

Although traditionally an American holiday, given that it is not majorly celebrated in the Caribbean or Latin America, many Latino families living within the U.S. partake in the festivities — adopting this holiday with a twist.  

Moreover, Latinos have a unique relationship with the holiday, as most of Latin America was conquered by the Spanish, which led to mestizaje — a genetic blend of Indigenous and European genes. In many ways, Latinos remained receptive to other cultures, whether that was to survive or by choice. 

As Latinos embrace Thanksgiving in their own way, it is also a way to share gratitude and honor their own challenges along the way, while recognizing their own history with colonization. 

Starting with its name, Thanksgiving may be referred to as Dia de Accion de Gracias (Action of Thanks Day), Dia de Dar Gracias (Day to give thanks) or even Dia del Pavo (Turkey Day). 

Ashley Navarro, a resident of Northeast, said that she was introduced to its festivities as a child during grade school. She said she remembered school initiatives as a child, which provided her with a turkey to take home for the holidays and explained to her Mexican mother that she had received it because of Thanksgiving.

“My mom would be like, ‘What is this? How do you cook a turkey?,’ because we don’t eat turkey, but my mom attempted to make a Thanksgiving dinner because she wanted us to feel welcomed with the other kids in school and didn’t want us to feel left out,” Navarro said. “Then it became a thing where my other family members, who also had children, were like ‘OK, let’s do this for the kids,’ and it just became a yearly thing like ‘Oh it’s Thanksgiving, we get together, we celebrate. Sometimes it’s turkey, sometimes it’s not, it’s just about bringing food and spending time together.’” 

For many, Acción de Gracias is an opportunity to do just that — spend time with family and eat different culinary dishes — themes central to any Latin American festivity. Some may even say that the Latino version of this holiday is just a party that happens to take place on Thanksgiving.

Still, this holiday provides the perfect excuse to bring the family together for a fiesta, while also holding space to commemorate the painful history of this day and indulging in sharing gratitude as part of the American tradition. 

Kansas City Comets professional soccer player Christian Anderaos said that Thanksgiving is simply known as ‘Turkey Day’ by him and chooses to observe the day by spending quality time with his family — focusing on connection and a day to honor Native American heritage and ancestors. 

Born and raised in Brazil, Anderaos came to the U.S. as a student in 2017 and learned about Thanksgiving through teammates and friends and gratefully accepted their invitation to join in on their traditional Thanksgiving festivities. 

After meeting and marrying his wife, who shares a Native American background, Anderaos said that he acquired a different perspective to the holiday. 

“I came to understand how Thanksgiving can be a painful reminder of what followed for Native people: loss of land, culture and lives. Now, we don’t celebrate it in a traditional sense and simply use it as an opportunity to gather with family without ignoring the history behind it,” Anderaos said. 

With most Latinos sharing Indigenous roots, and as a Latino who was raised in another country, Anderaos said that he tries to honor and respect the traditions and history of the U.S. but is also thankful to his family for helping him understand the other side of history. 

Ernesto Sillero, who immigrated to the U.S. and Northeast Kansas City seven years ago, said he began celebrating Thanksgiving after he was invited to the festivities by family who were residing here prior to him. 

For Sillero, this day has now become a day of gratitude for all the good and lessons learned. 

“We celebrate it by preparing food, making it like any other Mexican gathering, spending time together and having dinner and drinks,” Sillero said. 

As for the traditional outlook of the holiday, a Latino Thanksgiving may provide a completely different approach than what one may see in the movies during a typical Thanksgiving celebration. 

For starters, whereas a typical Thanksgiving dinner may start earlier in the day around the 2 to 4 p.m. time frame, a Latino Thanksgiving can be expected to begin later in the evening around 7 or 8 p.m. and last well into the night or even past midnight. 

What happens before the dinner is ready? Host families face the day by waking up early to cook and clean in preparation of the evening family gathering. Children may wake up to catch a glimpse of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, which takes place in New York City.  Music plays lively in the background as families prepare for the night ahead full of music, laughter and favorable cuisine. 

Like a traditional Thanksgiving, it is normal to see an array of dishes, with many families either cooking together or members bringing their own dish to the dinner in a potluck style. Similarly, dinners are more likely to have Latin American cuisine with dishes varying depending on the country of origin but may still include traditional dishes such as mac and cheese, casserole, among others or exclude it all together. 

Meals may include arepas, pupusas, pozole, tacos, carne asada and pastries such as gelatina, buñuelos or flan. 

When family members arrive, you’ll see people dressed to impress, sharing greetings and taking the moment to relax and enjoy moments together. Games are played, TikToks are made and music is accompanied by singing and dancing.

Just like all traditions, every family adds a touch of their own to make the holiday theirs. 

Ricardo Alvarado, who is a Colombian-Mexican-American, said that his immediate family will begin the day by having an intimate lunch on Thanksgiving before extended family members arrive and the festivities begin. 

Although Alvarado will have Colombian and Mexican dishes throughout the night, he said he always ensures to cook mac and cheese — using a new recipe every year. This year, he plans to use the recipe created by Tini, an Argentine singer. 

“Being Mexican and Colombian brings so much life to our Thanksgiving. It’s hilarious to see all the tias (aunts) dressed up for the occasion. Our menu is a mix of Latin dishes like tamales, arepas, spaghetti verde, empanadas with salsa music playing all night. The energy and culture make our Thanksgiving truly special,” Alvarado said. “I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving my whole life, always in a loving way with family, while embracing our Latino culture.” 

As to what happens next after the dinner, Michelle Diaz, said that her family meals turn into vibrant parties, complete with karaoke, dancing and quality time with loved ones. 

Diaz said that although she too didn’t learn about Thanksgiving until she began school, her mother always made an effort to cook traditional foods, but the celebrations were always infused with their own cultural traditions. “Now as I build my own family, I’m drawn to blending our cultural heritage with traditional American Thanksgiving foods. It’s a way for me to honor my roots while creating new traditions with my loved ones,” Diaz said.

Turkey Day or Accion de Gracias in Latino families may look different than a traditional dinner but one thing remains throughout — the sense of gratitude to be spending one more year surrounded by your loved ones over a delicious meal.