Junior Kaleb Tham

Junior Kaleb Tham, who is Vietnamese with Chinese and Khmer heritage, celebrates Thanksgiving by being with his family. 

“Thanksgiving is like Christmas for me. I enjoy being with my family and the hiatus from schoolwork. It is one of the few times I can see my brother, who is now in college,” Tham said. “My family rotates who hosts Thanksgiving with my cousins. When we have it [at] our house, we usually prepare a hot pot with all our grandparents bringing various Asian foods to accommodate it.”

Hot pot is a style of cooking where the broth is kept simmering in a large pot, and raw foods are added over time. While extremely popular in Asia, where the style originated, hot pot has also spread globally.

“The hot pot includes a wide assortment of meats, vegetables and seafood. Seafood is a rather rare treat for me, so I enjoy that part of hot pot,” Tham said. “My aunt makes large flat rice noodles with sesame sauce, eggs, cilantro and carrots mixed in it.”

Along with Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, Tham also enjoys some American Thanksgiving foods. 

“Our cousins, on the other hand, are half American, and we have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of our grandparents on both sides,” Tham said. “My lactose intolerance prevents me from consuming a lot of American things, including mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. The ham is delicious, though.”