Last Thursday, all of United States celebrated Thanksgiving Day, an annual tradition when families and friends gather in gratitude to celebrate the blessings of a fruitful year. This national holiday is also a commemoration of the first thanksgiving meal shared between the Native American Wampanoags and the Plymouth colonists from England. In a way, we can say that such occasion was a hospitable welcome of the native tribe to the immigrants who came all the way from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in search of a better, safer, and more prosperous life.
This year's Thanksgiving Day, parts of the US were impacted by a powerful winter storm which brought rain, cold temperatures, and inches of snow. It has disrupted travel plans for millions of people as they visit their families on what is one of the most cherished traditions in the American way of life. This day also signals the start of the holiday season with Christmas being just about less than a month away.
As I think about the significance of this holiday, I cannot help but wonder what it would be like for some families, especially for the immigrants who are facing the undeniable anxiety of the incoming Trump presidency. Will this be their last Thanksgiving dinner with their loved ones? Will the new administration pursue a more humane immigration reform now that they have concentrated power in both the Senate and the House? I sincerely hope that Mr. Trump takes a more nuanced and refined look at implementing his immigration policies that not only weeds out hardened criminal immigrants but also promotes individual dignity and preserves family unity.
During the first two years of his administration with control of both legislative chambers, tackling on immigration reform will be the golden and once in a "political lifetime" opportunity to finally address this issue. His forceful win in the last election was a clear and convincing mandate from the American people, even from the majority of the immigrant communities to revamp the rotten immigration system once and for all. We hope that in the future Thanksgiving celebrations, having a more humane and robust immigration policies is one of the reasons to be grateful for.
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As an alumnus, I would be remiss if I fail to congratulate my alma mater --Cebu Normal University-College of Nursing-- for producing the first placer and eight other top 10 placers in the recent Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination. Congratulations to the topnotchers and the rest of the passers and to the administration, faculty, support staff, the student body, and the whole CNU family.