Tamales or Turkey? How Do You Celebrate Thanksgiving Latino Style?

Hola Nebraska

21 Nov 2024 — 4 min read

¡Hola, Nebraska! Thanksgiving is a time to gather, give thanks, and share a delicious meal—but who says it has to be all about the turkey? In Latino households, Thanksgiving is where tradition meets flavor, blending the best of American customs with the warmth of our own cultural heritage.

From tamales steaming on the stovetop to arroz con gandules sharing the spotlight with mashed potatoes, every family has their unique twist on the holiday table. Whether you're savoring flan alongside pumpkin pie or swapping stories over café con leche, Thanksgiving Latino style is all about love, sabor, and comunidad.

So, Tamales or Turkey? why not both?

This season, let’s celebrate what makes our Thanksgiving traditions special. ¡Vamos a celebrar juntos! 🦃🌽✨

Please share this newsletter with your friends and family. For the articles in Spanish, you can visit this link.

Por favor, comparte este boletín con tus amigos y familiares. Para los artículos en español, puedes visitar este enlace.

¡Unidos Avanzamos! Gala: Celebrates 10 Years of Unity in Action

Olga Guevara, Executive Director of Unity in Action, and her staff. Photo by Tar Macias / Hola America

On November 15, people from all over the tri-state area came together in South Sioux City, Nebraska, to celebrate as Unity in Action marked its 10th anniversary with the ¡Unidos Avanzamos! Gala. The event honored a decade of transformative work empowering individuals and strengthening the Siouxland community.

Read more here!

¡Lea el artículo en español aquí!

Check out more photos of this event in our Facebook page **Hola America News** and our Instagram **@holaamerica**

Thanksgiving Day with Latin Flavor

By Hola America Staff

One of the most important aspects of this celebration is, without a doubt, is the dedication that each family puts to the feast that will be served on that day.

Turkey is a typical dish for Thanksgiving Day, but on the tables of Hispanic families, it gains different tastes and colors. This big turkey can be painted with colors of Mexican hot peppers and in the homes of Puerto Ricans, it even changes its name. The Puerto Ricans who love their lechon asado (roasted pork dish) invented something they call “pavochon”, a perfect recipe for the turkey that gives it the flavor of lechon.

Read more here!

¡Lea el artículo en español aquí!

Beef over beef: In North Platte, promises of economic boom smash into fears over immigrants

The Sustainable Beef worksite is currently limited to construction workers, and danger signs are posted along the road on the plant’s north side. But the plant will soon be operational and will quickly become one of the city’s biggest employers, bringing an estimated 2,500 people to North Platte, as employees and their families move in to fill the predicted 800 jobs. (Photo by Lori Potter for the Flatwater Free Press)

By Natalia Alamdari & Flatwater Free Press

In the spring, the rancher-owned meatpacking plant Sustainable Beef will open in this west-central Nebraska city of 22,523. The plant is expected to add 2,500 people to town, as employees and their families move to fill the predicted 800 jobs, making it the city’s third-largest employer.

Read more here!

¡Lea el artículo en español aquí!

Finding mental health services can be hard for new Americans. Bilingual therapists hope to change that

Dalia Ruvalcaba is a bilingual therapist in Omaha. Here she is speaking at a Women's Conference in Bellevue University earlier this year. Photo by Tar Macias / Hola America

By Meghan O’Brien, News Intern Nebraska Public Media

“I think there’s still a lot of stigma around mental health and seeking help,” Dalia Ruvalcaba is one of many bilingual therapists in Omaha, said. “So, I think that definitely stops some people from wanting to reach out or even acknowledging that they’re needing help. But then also, once some of them do want to reach out, they don’t know how to access therapy, or who to call, where to go, what the process looks like.”

Ruvalcaba took access to therapy into her own hands last fall, introducing the Therapists of Color Network. Ruvalcaba hopes it means more people can connect with someone who understands their language, their culture and their values.

Read more here!

¡Lea el artículo en español aquí!

Check out more photos of the many events from the Latino communities of Nebraska on our Facebook page Hola America News and our Instagram @holaamerica