A Presidential Visit and Thanksgiving Dinner

By William E. Todd, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia 

This past week was a very historic and exciting moment in the history of U.S.-Cambodia relations.  I had the great privilege to welcome President Barack Obama as the first incumbent U.S. President to visit Cambodia.  President Obama’s attendance at the 4th ASEAN-U.S. Leaders’ Meeting and the 7th East Asia Summit reinforced the U.S. re-balancing toward Asia, particularly our engagement efforts to promote peace, prosperity, stability, and security in the region for future generations.

President Obama had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen, and the two leaders had a frank discussion about issues important for further deepening the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral relationship.  In particular, they discussed the need to strengthen the protection of human rights, hold free and fair elections, and eliminate land rights abuses in Cambodia, issues that could become an impediment to our bilateral relationship if not adequately addressed.  If these perennial challenges can be met, however, I foresee even greater cooperation between our two great nations with benefits flowing to Cambodians and Americans alike.

The President returned to the White House in time to celebrate with his family the American Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.  Last week before the President arrived, one reader asked, “What does Thanksgiving mean to Americans?”  We generally think of Thanksgiving as a uniquely American holiday, but there’s actually a long tradition of harvest-time celebrations and thanksgiving celebrations around the world.

While Americans have different views on the exact origins of this holiday in the United States, popular history says that the first Thanksgiving was a dinner shared between Native Americans and European settlers almost four hundred years ago to celebrate a particularly successful harvest.  The newly arrived European settlers, referred to as “Pilgrims,” came to America to be free from religious persecution.  Unfamiliar with the land and the climate, the Pilgrims faced numerous challenges in the new world.  With the generosity of nearby Native American tribes, however, the Pilgrims learned how to grow corn and squash, and eventually began to thrive.  Thanksgiving commemorates that time so many years ago, when both sides gathered at the same table to give thanks for their bonds of cooperation and friendship and for the bounty of the land.

In this spirit, Americans today celebrate Thanksgiving with a grand dinner surrounded by family and friends on the fourth Thursday of November.  This feast usually includes a turkey served with stuffing and gravy, cranberries, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie for dessert.Family members gather together – from across townor across the country – to celebrate this special time with one another.  In addition, many Americans choose to assist those less fortunate by donating turkeys to local families or volunteering to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter or retirement home.  Thanksgiving also represents the official beginning of the winter holiday season, with the day after being the busiest shopping day of the year. Bargain hunters set their alarm clocksto go off before the crack of dawn, and millions of Americans flock to shopping malls to find holiday gifts for their friends and family members.

Thanksgiving means different things to different people, but at its heart are themes of religious tolerance, cooperation, learning from others, and above all else, appreciating the important things in life like family and friends.  As I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and friends, I was thankful for the chance to spend the day with my loved ones and to work on President Obama’s behalf for a more effective U.S.-Cambodia relationship. To all of you, I end with a simple question,“What are you most thankful for and why?”  I look forward to reading all of your responses.  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

William E. Todd is U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia