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Chattanooga: Hispanic students gather to learn about, celebrate U.S. holidays

By: Perla Trevizo
(Contact)

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It started as a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey and pecan pies, but La Plaza Comunitaria’s Thanksgiving feast now includes Guatemalan tamales and Mexican flan.

“Last year, the students came up with the idea of each bringing a dish from their native countries, so we provide the traditional dishes, including the turkey, and they bring the rest,” said Mirtha Jones, director of La Plaza Comunitaria.

On Tuesday, about 100 people, most of whom were students of La Plaza Comunitaria and their families, gathered inside the St. Andrews Center to enjoy a variety of dishes and give thanks for what they have.

Juan Garcia, who has lived in the United States for 15 years, said he has celebrated Thanksgiving before, but this was his first time at La Plaza Comunitaria.

“It’s great to be able to get together, learn from each other’s cultures and taste different dishes,” said the Mexico native. “It’s a day to thank God for your job, your health and for everything he gives us.”

Mayor Ron Littlefield, who stopped by briefly, said the meal was a particularly meaningful celebration because of the uniqueness of the holiday and the wide variety of dishes at La Plaza Comunitaria.

“That’s just like the Indians and the Pilgrims, sharing the foods that were unique to their cultures,” he said.

La Plaza Comunitaria is an initiative of Chattanooga State Technical Community College and the Mexican Consulate in Atlanta. It provides an English as a Second Language program as well as classes in Spanish to help students complete the Mexican equivalents of elementary, middle and high school.

Annette Segura, an English as a Second Language teacher at La Plaza, said it has taught its students about American holidays ever since opening in the St. Andrews Center in 2004.

“We feel it’s important that they learn about the traditions in the United States because they are now living here,” said Mrs. Segura, who’s originally from Chile.

The sense of community Thanksgiving dinner brings to the holiday is what makes the celebration so special for the students, their relatives and friends, said Mrs. Jones.

“It gives them a sense of belonging to a group of people,” she said. “They find something in common here.”

Marco Mendez said he’s been celebrating Thanksgiving since he arrived in the United States eight years ago.

“It’s important that we learn about the culture and traditions of this country,” said the Guatemalan native as he had dinner with his 4-year-old daughter, Glenda.

He said he brought his daughter so she can start learning about the different traditions.

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