bill emerson

Most of the work of getting produce into grocery stores, restaurants, and homes is done by immigrants. Immigrants are the foundation of the U.S. agriculture system, not only as workers but also as consumers. Yet many are left vulnerable to exploitation, poverty, and food insecurity despite everything they contribute to our agricultural system and economy.

One day into my fellowship with The Congressional Hunger Center, the federal government shut down. What seemed like an inconvenience that might last a few days, or at worst, a couple of weeks, dragged on throughout my entire first month in the anti-hunger, anti-poverty policy space.

Just eight months ago, I received an email which said the following: “Hunger and poverty exist EVERYWHERE.” The reminder came a few weeks after accepting an invitation to join the Congressional Hunger Center’s 30th class of Emerson Fellows. For those not familiar with the program, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. Fellows gain vital first-hand experience through placements with community-based organizations across the country coupled with policy-focused organizations in Washington, D.C.

In the movie Barbie, as Ruth Handler walks with Barbie, she says, “We mothers stand still, so our daughters can look back to see how far they’ve come.” As I reminisce about my six-month tenure in Oklahoma as a Bill Emerson Hunger Fellow, I think about the generations of my Vietnamese ancestors that longed for a future of joy, stability, and imagination beyond the atrocities of colonization, war, and poverty.