The Online Reflector

By: Adrian Kendrick

Feature Editor

International students are beginning to learn more about the distinctly American holiday known as Thanksgiving.

“I really didn’t have any views of Thanksgiving until my friends invited me to their house [to experience it]” said senior, Chengqi Dong, an international student from Hangzheu, China.

According to Geraldine Watson, assistant director of the International Division at the University of Indianapolis, international students view Thanksgiving as a cultural tradition for Americans, and a number of the students have indicated they would like to experience it.

“There are organizations that invite them [international students] to Thanksgiving,” Watson said, “but I think they would rather go home with a roommate or be invited by someone’s family.”

According to Dong, celebrating Thanksgiving last year with his friends was fun and if he had stayed on campus during break it would not have made sense.

According to sophomore Courtny Cotten, he invited Dong to his house last year for Thanksgiving to let Dong experience something he wasn’t use to.

“He asked me what Thanksgiving was, and I said, ‘Well, why don’t you come to my house and enjoy it with my family’?” Cotten said.

Now that Dong has experienced Thanksgiving, he views it as being happy.

“I believe it is a big family reunion, and I liked the food. The turkey made me sleepy, though,” Dong said.

According to Dong he felt welcomed in Cotten’s home.

“Them inviting me really helped me understand American culture,” he said. “Their families were nice to me.”

Cotten said he believed that Dong had a good time celebrating Thanksgiving.

Dong said he is looking forward to experiencing Thanksgiving again this year.

“International students are interested in celebrating Thanksgiving because they don’t have it,” Watson said, “and Americans can help by reaching out.”