Introduction: Race and the Food System

Link to article: http://www.whyhunger.org/getinfo/showArticle/articleId/928

This article paints an alarming picture about hunger in the United States. It depicts a situation in which a large amount of Americans going hungry are of a colored race. It goes on to ask why this occurs then explains that the reason for this is because of a pattern that started long ago that still repeats itself today. This pattern was seen in the early years of U.S. primarily through slavery and conquest of the nation. Historically, Africans in history were discriminated against and seen as inferior which resulted in their poor treatment. With the expansion of the U.S. to the west many Native American communities were taken advantage of. This tradition of exploitation is still alive today through industrial farming. Industrial farms are looking to conquest the economic frontiers. Similar to how the early settlers of the nation took advantage of the people's lands, industrial farms continue to exploit and take advantage of Americans today, especially those located local to industrial farms. This pattern, I feel, is an important topic to focus on. It is not until we learn to break this pattern that our nation can focus on issues such as hunger that is destined for certain races. With urban agriculture now apart of the food system, it is important that we watch what kind of contribution it makes not only at a local setting but at a national setting as well.