A DIVERSITY OF THANKS : Many Add a Touch of Mexico to Holiday

Mexico has no holiday that corresponds with Thanksgiving, but Mexican Americans locally say that most adopt the U. S. tradition as their own after a time in the United States.

Lupe Carlin, 74, of Canoga Park, whose Mexican American family has roots that go back several generations in Arizona, said she celebrates Thanksgiving for a simple reason--her mother did.

And what a Thanksgiving. With seven children, 25 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, Carlin said she can count on a Thanksgiving party of 30 or more. The preparations start several days in advance. And the food is as North American as it gets--mashed potatoes, turkey, yams, fresh-baked bread, stuffing and gravy.

However, Carlin said she can’t go without a few variations. Mexican rice, for example, will grace the table because the children like it. And no dish is safe from a dollop of Carlin’s favorite picante--yellow chilies cooked and placed in a blender with tomatoes, garlic and onions.

“My mother made it, so I do. And I know my children will,” Carlin said.

Although most Mexicans associate the name “Dia de Gracias” with the American holiday, few celebrate it in Mexico, according to local immigrants. Carlin said she used to volunteer for a local Head Start program locally that served many newcomers from Mexico.

The program provided parents with free turkeys at Thanksgiving, she said. “But a lot of parents brought it back,” she said, “they just didn’t want them.”

Local organizations that serve Mexican Americans tip their hats to the holiday. The Guadalupe Center in Canoga Park had planned a pair of Thanksgiving-style luncheons for its clients, and other organizations distributed turkeys.

But Carlin said she expected that while her large family played games, guitars, violins and drums late into the evening after dinner, many of her neighbors, newly arrived from Mexico, wouldn’t be celebrating.

“They will, though,” she said, “pretty soon they will.”