Not My Father’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Carlos Cortes, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California, lectures  widely about diversity and multiculturalism.  In his writings, he  makes it clear that what we learn at school is only one curriculum of many.  Indeed, he talks about the institutional curriculum as well as the societal curriculum, and how we learn from all of them.  As schools at all levels of education are transforming their curriculums to keep pace with the times, so too are workplaces, the media, and entertainment.  Sometimes the change is so seamless and subtle that it almost goes unnoticed.

Take the recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  When I saw the Rockettes many years ago, the individual dancers dressed, danced, and looked alike.  Even when dancers of color were added, they wore stockings to make their legs look pale beige.  Now, finally, their legs are a beautiful array of colors.

Now, marching bands come from far-away places such as Veracruz, Mexico.  This marching band was outfitted in full Mexican dress, and the color guard wore colorful skirts.  Their sound was distinctively Mexican as well.

The Oneida Nation’s float, “True Spirit of Thanksgiving,” played Iroquois dance music, showcasing a Grammy-winning singer from their tribe.

Prior to the grand entrance of Macy’s Santa, children sang of different Santas throughout the world.  As they did,  Santas in the traditional dress of various countries added to the pageantry.

A cheerleading number from the broadway musical, “Bring It On,” included a man dressed in drag as one of the cheerleaders.  The musical bills him as a “drag queen.”

No, this was not my father’s Thanksgiving Parade.  But in its own subtle way, it taught us something, whether we realize it or not.  And for that, we can be thankful.