Friends,

Here’s a quick recap of our Welcome to our Table Town Hall held last week and a selection of the special family recipes our guest panelists shared ahead of Thanksgiving.

Welcome to our Table Town Hall recap
Last week, I hosted a Welcome to our Table virtual town hall with nine other women leaders, of diverse and immigrant backgrounds, who work in advocacy, nonprofit, or government spaces.

We each shared our immigration stories and discussed the unique joys and challenges that accompany our experiences. As we shared our individual narratives, we recognized some areas of commonality. All of us understand what it is like to be the only person in the room that looks like us. We have each experienced how sometimes others underestimate us. Some of us have been either silenced or expected to remain silent. And we all understand how our perspectives and our voices have been shaped by the rich cultural traditions and experiences that we are able to bring into spaces in which we are often the first to venture. It was a special night as we recognized American women of immigrant backgrounds who have broken barriers by holding offices, running organizations, and helping create a world that welcomes diverse voices to the table.

I thank these extraordinary women who joined my Welcome to our Table Town Hall last week, just in time to honor the immigrant experience in America and give thanks to all who enrich this country through diverse cultures:

• Suja Amir - Community Advocate
• Angela Chiang - (retired) Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
• Manka Dhingra - Washington State Senator
• Elizabeth Guzman - Virginia House of Delegates
• Padma Kuppa - Michigan State Representative
• Tram Nguyen - Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority
• Anika Rahman - Second Vice-Chair, Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia
• Mona Siddiqui - Deputy Chief Diversity Officer, Governor's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Kathy Tran, Virginia House of Delegates

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'd like to share a few recipes — from our tables to yours.

 

Closing thoughts
This year, Thanksgiving may look a little different. Some families may be celebrating with smaller groups than usual. Some might gather over online conferencing apps to have dinner. No matter how we gather this year, we can find reasons to be thankful.

Personally, I am thankful for my family, for an abundance of friends around the world, and for all the blessings that are apparent in my life.

As always, if you need assistance, or if you want to schedule a Zoom or phone call with our team, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. Email is the best way to contact us. We can be reached at [email protected].

-- Ghazala Hashmi

 

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