Legacy of Poverty

My father’s family picked scrap metal to earn money when they first arrived in America in the late 1800′s.

Pre-Ellis Island’s more official and organized role, the records can’t tell me where my family came from beyond Italy or if Bonanza is really my last name or the mis-spelled answer to the question ‘Why are you here?’ ‘What do you do?’ or ‘Where are you from?’  While it is common for non-English speaking immigrants to have unintentional name changes it is the legacy of poverty that I think is in part behind my at-all-times, fully-stocked cabinets.

Food security issue are tied to poverty.  I think it is probably those same food security issues in addition to my love of different flavors that keeps me heading to the store even when I don’t need to go.

I didn’t grow up poor.  Neither did either of my parents.  You have to go back two generations to get to a family member wit a low-income childhood, and yet the effects are still around today.  To me, it shows how even if everyone had their needs met tomorrow the psychological damage can be present years and generations later.

Stats to put this into perspective about the affects of this on our nation currently and potentially in the future->
19% of children live in Poverty (a family of four living on under $22,050)
41% of children live in Low-Income (a family of four living on under $44,100)

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