Thank you, readers

One of the biggest and the most anticipated holidays in the US is Thanksgiving Day. Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate this day, along with the traditional feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, corn, green beans, yams, and pies. I have been invited to one of these dinners and I could tell Americans take this day very seriously. Families from all over gather round the table on perhaps the only day of the year when they reunite. I was asked if we have Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines, to which I politely said no, but we consider Christmas Day as the closest equivalent.

This day is also not lost in the immigrant communities here in the US. As part of assimilation to the American way of life, almost all immigrants have their own way of celebrating as well. I have seen some immigrant families prepare their own native dishes but the spirit of being grateful remains heartfelt and alive.

On this occasion, I would like to thank you my dear readers for your continuing patronage to this column. Some of you take the time to email me and express your views which may or may not agree with mine. Some drop by to ask a few questions to which I am so eager to answer. I always view this weekly endeavor as a “service column” than a political commentary. While there may be times the column tilts toward a certain side of an issue, I always try to be as fair as possible.

My sincerest gratitude also extends to the leadership, editors, and staff here at The FREEMAN. Their support makes it all possible for this column to be printed every Sunday. I believe we are the only regional paper in the country that offers this kind of service to the reading public.

While there are a lot to be thankful for, let us always remember that there are also some of us who may not be as fortunate. There are still immigrants who have not been reunited with their families or are being threatened by deportation. Meaningful immigration legislation is yet to be passed and each day a divided Congress and hostile immigration policies issued by the Trump administration make such passage of pro-immigrant laws seem to be improbable. All of us, while grateful, should also be hopeful as well.