COUNTYWIDE : A Call to Remember the 1st Thanksgiving

Galal Kernahan wants immigrant-bashing to stop, so he’s asking people to remember America’s first Thanksgiving Day.

“There’s so much harsh, if not downright cruel, immigrant-bashing today,” said Kernahan, 68, a member of Los Amigos of Orange County, a community activist group that promotes awareness of issues that affect Latinos.

“That isn’t what this country is about at all, and Thanksgiving is a lot more than just overeating and watching football games,” the Laguna Hills resident said. “It’s a time to give thanks for all in our land--native-born and newcomers--for the many blessings we share in America.”

In an effort to promote his cause, Kernahan has been asking local organizations to celebrate “the promise of our nation of immigrants--America” through Los Amigos of Orange County.

Sixteen groups have made that pledge already. They include the Cambodian Assn. of America, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Orange County chapter of the American Jewish Committee, Rancho Santiago College, the Assn. of Pacific Island Educators, the Council on Islamic Education and the Restoration Nation Christian Ministry.

The response “has been encouraging,” said Kernahan, a retired educator and free-lance writer.

“We didn’t go into a high-powered campaign,” he explained. “We just wanted to get the word out because so many people have felt so uncomfortable and unhappy and such bad feelings have arisen in the last year that we needed to do something positive. Thanksgiving-time provides the opportunity.”

Kernahan said he hopes people will realize that with the exception of Native Americans, everyone else in the country comes from immigrant stock.

“Nobody sprang out of the rocks or trees,” Kernahan said. “The Indians and the immigrant newcomers got together 372 years ago to give thanks for each other. They appreciated each other, and we’re simply asking people to remember what Thanksgiving is all about--it’s 1,000% American.”

Amin David, chairman of Los Amigos, agreed: “I think everyone should take a stand to give back to Thanksgiving its historical place in our lives.”