https://www.smore.com/md89k-the-equity-report
Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 25th 2021) Big S/o to Dr. Aradhana Mudambi! (Director of Multilingual Education)
How Inclusive Is It to Refer to This Weekend as Turkey Day?
As we come to our final few days of school before our long, Thanksgiving Day weekend, we may be tempted to wish our students a Happy Turkey Day due to the longstanding tradition in the United States of serving turkey on the fourth Thursday of every November. But how inclusive are we in doing so?
In a district such as ours, where over 70 languages are spoken, students come with many traditions from their heritage cultures and adopt various and differing elements of the local culture. Not all our families may even choose to celebrate this weekend, but even among those who do, many may not be eating turkey this weekend and some in fact, may find it culturally inappropriate and/or personally offensive. For instance, while many South Asian, Hindu students may acknowledge Thanksgiving at their homes with a special feast, those who are culturally vegetarian may be in need to substitute the turkey with other foods due to their faith. Similar faith-based objections to eating turkey may be experienced by students who are practicing Buddhists or Seventh-Day Adventists.
Additionally, even students who cannot easily trace their heritage to lands outside of the United States may choose to be vegetarian due their own convictions, a choice we should respect. Finally, as a way of melding cultures together, even families and students who do not practice vegetarianism may choose to cook foods from their own heritage this weekend instead of cooking the stereotypical, Thanksgiving fare. Hence, by referencing the day as “Turkey Day,” we unintentionally exclude some of our students.
So perhaps instead of the usual turkey crafts or references to turkeys, we could instead have students share what a special meal is at their house and build sociocultural competence by talking about how food is a source of togetherness among families all over the world. And for those students who celebrate, we can wish them a Happy Thanksgiving, and for others, a wonderful long weekend, but perhaps not a Happy Turkey Day. ~
-Dr. Aradhana Mudambi, Director of Multilingual Education
Sit down and shut up “Dr” shitstain!! You’re just another race baiting piece of shit. It’s been an American holiday where most Americans have turkey for as long as I remember (58 years) it’s irrelevant what other people eat/do on that day. Asswipes like you, who wake up every morning and look for something to be offended by, is the reason why there is divide in this country.
So agree with you!!!