This weekend, I found an article titled Hunger in America: 2016 United Stated Hunger and Poverty Facts. This article describes the prevalence of hunger, poverty, and food insecurity in the United States, their causes, and ways that can help these issues. Did you know that one in eight households in the US are considered food insecure? That is about 15.8 million households. That was a shocking fact to me. I had no idea that this rate was so high. In addition, 13.5 percent of households in the US are considered to be in poverty. This is also a very high number that I was not expecting. These numbers are even higher for minorities in our country. There are three main causes of poverty and hunger in the US: poverty in the world, the operation of the political and economic system in the United States which has tended to keep people from poor families poor, and actual physical and behavioral issues among some people who are poor. The two main ways that a person in poverty can increase their income are by trade and immigration. Take immigration for example. Like the families in The Harvest, people from impoverished areas in countries outside of the United States are not making enough money to support their families needs. Victor's father decided to migrate his family into the United States from Mexico to increase his wages and be able to provide for his family. However, he needed to make sacrifices when coming to the US, and work extra hard when he got here in order to bring his two daughters that he left behind in Mexico into the US with the rest of their family. Fifty-nine percent of food insecure households in the United States participate in at least one of the three largest Federal food and nutrition assistance programs. These programs are SNAP (the new name for the food stamp program), WIC, and the National School Lunch Program. Together, these three programs have provided supplements to families that are below a certain level of income and helped them to support their families. However, there is a bit of a stigma behind the use of these programs. Some may find it a bit embarrassing to not be able to provide for themselves or their families, and want to take pride in their work without any help. As described in Joan Gross and Nancy Rosenberger's The Double Binds of Getting Food Among the Poor in Rural Oregon, many find it hard to adjust from a higher class to a lower one. This can be summed up by means of double binds. When a family is used to a certain lifestyle and their income level changes or they fall to a lower class, they have the desire to live the same lifestyle as they did before, but no longer have the means to support it. They are resistant to change and do not want anyone to have a negative view on them. This is a reason that not 100% of all eligible US citizens participate in these very helpful programs.
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Meet the Author: Rachel KonchalRachel is a sophomore Pre-Med Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major in the Honors College at Michigan State University. Rachel also is working towards a minor in Environmental Studies & Sustainability. This web page was created for use during her time in the class ISS 310 001H, Eating Industrial. Archives
November 2016
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