Route J-1

Thanksgiving is a quintessential American holiday – and a major aspect of our national identity – celebrated by Americans from all walks of life. Unfortunately, our summer students miss out on Thanksgiving as they depart long before the fourth Thursday in November. In Wildwood, New Jersey, a J-1 host employer has solved that problem. Thanksgiving in July is a Morey’s Piers tradition for their American and J-1 employees. They serve up an authentic Thanksgiving experience complete with American football, pumpkins, and Pilgrims – right on the beach!

There is never a bad time to eat turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, right? I sat with a table of students from Malaysia and Taiwan, and I noticed that the meals they were so obviously enjoying lacked this essential ingredient they wrote off as “jelly”. Our foreign friends learned that without that tangy accessory, it’s just a delicious meal of turkey, stuffing and gravy. But, with the cranberries, it becomes something very special and unique – a Thanksgiving feast!

It made me think of how the cultural diversity and enthusiasm that J-1 summer students bring to Wildwood is similar to the zing cranberries add to Thanksgiving. Of course, going to the beach in the summer is a tradition for many east coast vacationers; but, with the international students all around, they also have the chance to learn about a different place in the world that they may never get to visit. Seeing this beach through the eyes of these students is a pretty fantastic ingredient for a traditional American summer.

I also realized that, much like our J-1 students who overlooked the cranberries, it can be pretty easy to overlook a foreign student and think of him or her as just another summer lifeguard or ride operator. But, these young people are really amazing! At Morey’s Piers’ Thanksgiving celebration, I sat with students studying law, journalism, medical engineering, econometrics, finance, marketing and the list goes on and on. I will always admire their bravery in coming this far to realize a dream, improve their English, or scratch that adventure itch. In all my conversations, only one student had ever been to the United States prior to this visit. They come for the J-1 program. And, for that, I am thankful.

Categories: Participants