I don't think my quoted snippet was out of context in the least, but let's quote the entire post and see how I respond. In fact, I'll plug in the correction you provided and amplify its meaning as you directed:
My even bigger peeve is that the various groups of first-generation immigrants in my neighborhood, all of whom have much reason to be thankful for being here, treat Thanksgiving as just another day!
Hmm. I dunno. Still sounds kind of offensive to me. On the one hand, you're identifying folks by their origins (whether "ethnic" or "immigrant" doesn't really matter), pointing out their cultural differentness; on the other hand, you're judging them negatively for failure to conform to the cultural practices of natives such as yourself.
A few observations:
1. Treating a collection of individuals as monolithic in their behaviors because many of them who share a particular race, ethnicity, language, or religion behave similarly in certain circumstances is a very slippery slope. That's the kind of generalizing that leads to racial profiling, among other things.
2. Expecting those who come from abroad to be thankful to be here might be considered chauvinistic. Are they to be grateful that we've allowed them in? Maybe they're too busy worrying about extended families back home, or enormous debts incurred to get here, or the ravages of war or natural disaster or persecution from which they were forced to flee, to properly appreciate all we're doing for them.
3. Even if they do represent the classic immigrant story of folks gazing with awe upon Lady Liberty as they sail into New York Harbor, why is it imperative that they embrace our cultural traditions? Perhaps they give thanks every single day through religious practice. Since our own traditions derive, historically, from a richly diverse mix of sources, one might just as easily fault
us for failure to incorporate
their traditions into our cultural stew.
It almost seems as if your peeve is that these neighbors don't express gratitude to
you for accepting their presence. That's why I said, "Ah, that's probably not what you meant at all."
