Home for the Holidays Published on December 7, 2011

Global Citizen Year, in partnership with the Universidad de las Americas – a Laureate University Network affiliate – and the US Embassy in Quito, hosted a Thanksgiving feast for its Fellows and Ecuadorian university students from Quito as a way to promote intercultural exchange among the youth. This event forms part of a larger partnership between Global Citizen Year and Laureate Network. 

“Is Joan Hanawi blonde?” 

I tried to hide my smile as I shook my head no. The atrium of Universidad de Las Americas (UDLA) was a flutter with excitement as Ecuadorian students were tasked with finding their assigned Global Citizen Year Fellow by asking only yes or no questions and speaking in only English. The mixture of broken English and halting Spanish in the air signaled the start of a very different type of Thanksgiving. 

Fellows from both the Napo and the Imbabura regions of Ecuador had been anticipating Training Seminar 1 for days, as we all flocked together on Thanksgiving morning to travel from our respective sites to Quito to reconvene for the November custom of giving thanks. From the minute we arrived at UDLA, the site of our Thanksgiving feast, the Ecuadorian students, staff, and chefs were waiting to welcome us with open arms. Our night was only given two rules: all Ecuadorians had to speak in English and all Global Citizen Year Fellows could only speak in Spanish. This rule gave the night such a unique feeling as the ultimate fusion of two cultures was reached through food, through speech, and through friendship. After the initial icebreaker, where my new Ecuadorian friend eventually discovered that my hair is actually quite far from blonde, we divided into three groups to prepare for the night: chefs, decorators, and entertainers. However, these tasks were barely finished because the excitement of finding and sharing common interests with youth that may have at first seemed a world away monopolized our time, causing our coordinators to push us to finish our tasks so we could finally start dinner. As we all sat down around the table, it was a truly fulfilling feeling to see Ecuadorians and Americans interspersed among each other, conversing in opposite languages, discovering connections based on the typical topics important to adolescents. Cultural exchange had finally overcome culture shock. It’s truly amazing when you can start to realize that borders aren’t walls, and, in fact, they’re nothing more than lines on a map.  

My favorite part of the night was when one of our new Ecuadorian friends opened up the floor to ask if anyone wanted to share what they were thankful for. At first, silence hung in the air, until finally, one Ecuadorian student stood up boldly and stated in perfect English, “I am very thankful that you all have taken the time to come here and share your customs with us, and that now we have had the opportunity to become friends.” 

Cheers erupted around the room, immediately followed by more silence until a Global Citizen Year Fellow stood up and shared, “I’m thankful that you would all take the time to meet us and open up your university to host us and learn about our culture. It’s so nice to be able to share parts of our culture with you since everyone here has been so kind to patiently explain aspects of Ecuadorian culture to us.” 

And with the bold statements of individuals from both groups, the comments began to flow more freely. 

“I’m so thankful for our directors and coordinators that they would put together a night like this for us to share.” 

“I didn’t know what to expect when I agreed to come for this night, but I am so glad that I did because it has been such a nice experience to learn about customs from the United States from actual peers from the US and to have the opportunity to practice my English.” 

“I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet all of you and that you would welcome us with such hospitality.” 

Despite the fact that we are all currently living miles away from our state-side homes, the journey we are on together has given us a new kind of family. I loved looking around the table and not being able to differentiate between those sitting there, seeing only new brothers and sisters. Together, we enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner that, in typical Ecuadorian style, had more than enough scrumptiously delicious food to go around.  And although I may not have been with my biological family for Thanksgiving, I’m definitely still finding an endless list to give thanks for in my new home here.