(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Snow Wang
Thanksgiving is a holiday originating in the United States. Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated by every person expressing their gratitude, watching a football game, and eating a giant feast until your stomach can’t hold any more. Often, people say they’re grateful for their families, their friends, and their pets. Yes, these are good things to be grateful for. But I’d like to share a few others.
In an article in the Seattle Weekly, a journalist argues that the US takes its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, for granted. For much of history, the US’s geographical placement — separated from AfroEurasia-Oceania by two vast oceans and bordered only by Canada and Mexico — is what has kept us safe from many major threats. During WW1 and WW2, AfroEurasia and Oceania were ripped into pieces. Today, the Middle East is suffering from wars and genocides. Ukraine is being invaded by Russia. China is threatening its neighbors — Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, and more. But it’s a different story in the Americas.
For those of you taking AP World History or who have taken AP World before, you may know that the Americas’ isolation from the world made the Native Americans’ encounter with Europeans, Africans, and Asians (Europeans in particular) very unique and tragic. Many were wiped out by disease and genocide — mostly carried out by Europeans. But prior to contact with AfroEurasia-Oceania, the Americas were isolated from any major war in the Old World, including the Crusades, the Mongolian conquests, Warring States Period in China, the Dark Ages of Europe, and more. This advantage even plays into modern day — in the Cold War, it was the Soviet Union that collapsed — not the United States.
The Soviet Union, now split into sixteen countries, the largest being Russia, was not separated from equally-powerful rivals and potential adversaries by two vast oceans. With France and the UK on the same continent challenging the USSR, and China, the USSR never enjoyed such freedom in its actions. The US, on the other hand, borders only Canada and Mexico. In the Americas, the 2nd most powerful nation is Brazil, which still cannot challenge the US in terms of global influence.
For much of history, the US was protected by two vast oceans. The world wars never spread to the Americas. And the US is in a blessed position. Our two neighbors, Canada and Mexico, have protected us for many generations. helped to shield our country from direct USSR influence, securing our victory and the fall of the spread of communism. They ensure domestic tranquility, just as our founders intended: ensure domestic tranquility.
Yeva Skalietska, a young refugee from Ukraine, wrote in her diary, “[y]ou don’t know what war is until you’ve actually been there…but the fewer people know war, the better.”
These quotes from two experienced Europeans show that every person in the US must be grateful for our advantages and our blessings — because no other country enjoys them. China and Russia may be superpowers who can challenge us, but they have each other to worry about and they’re separated from us by two vast oceans — giving us automatic protection. Why do we take our neighbors for granted?
First of all, pollution is a serious issue. We’re dumping waste into our oceans. There’s a giant Pacific garbage patch four times the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. This shows no appreciation to our oceans for keeping our homeland tranquil. Additionally, Canada and Mexico are subject to much stereotyping and ridicule in our country, as well as threats, simply because they are weaker than us. Canadian and Mexican culture is often mocked and appropriated in our society. (Canadian lumberjacks, excessive sorry and eh, and extreme cold weather; Mexican sombreros, cuisine, and tacos/tequila). United Statians don’t show they appreciate the true worth of the Atlantic, Pacific, Canada, and Mexico.
So, how do we show appreciation for our two vast oceans and neighbors? Here are a few ways:
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Write to a government official telling them we can’t continue polluting our oceans.
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Organize a clean-up day in your community.
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Raise awareness on social media about the plight of our oceans —encourage people to take action!
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Recycle recyclable items in your household. Make sure you have a recycling bin. This reduces the chance that something winds up in our oceans.
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Honor Canadian and Mexican contributions to society.
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Learn French or Spanish! Canada has two official languages: French and English, and Mexico doesn’t have an official language, but the majority speaks Spanish.
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Learn Canadian and Mexican history as well as US history.
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Be nice to your Canadian and Mexican friends, neighbors, colleagues, and classmates.
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Share this article with others.
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Most importantly, add “Our two vast oceans” and “Our peaceful two neighbors” to your list of Thanksgiving expressions.