Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World
bread
Marvin Garcia Salas eats breakfast with his son Jesus, 4, in Chiapas, Mexico. Marvin was once an undocumented
immigrant in the United States, where he had moved without his family to better support them. Hunger and a
lack of economic opportunity are at the root of much of the undocumented immigration from Mexico.
Exodus From Hunger & Poverty
An exodus from hunger can be metaphorical or literal. Metaphorically, it
occurs when economic assistance or development lifts people out of poverty
in the places where they live. But poor and hungry people can’t always count
on economic development and relief coming to them when they need it.
Sometimes they venture out in search of a life beyond their circumstances.
Immigration and Bread for the World
Hunger has long been a potent force behind emigration to the United States.
In the 1840s, the Irish potato famine killed a million people and drove a million
more to our shores. Over the past two centuries, tens of millions of people have
come to the United States to escape famine and poverty. The countries of origin
have changed over time, but the basic motivation for much immigration has not
changed:
For many of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants now in the United States,
immigration has been a literal exodus from hunger and poverty.
As Christians, we know that immigration, like all issues, is best understood
(See Immigration on page 2)
in this issue | On Faith 3 Bread Slices 4 Member Profile 6 Advocacy in Action 7 Contact Us 8
Bread for the World
is a collective Christian voice
urging our nation’s decision
makers to end hunger
at home and abroad
March-April 2013 | www.bread.org
Act Now!
Join us in launching this year’s
Offering of Letters Campaign:
1. Petition the President to set a goal
and work with Congress on a plan to
end hunger (www.bread.org/go/OL).
2. Call your members of Congress at
202-224-3121. Urge them to ensure
a place at the table for all God’s
children by providing adequate
funding for anti-hunger and antipoverty programs: the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,
formerly food stamps); the EarnedIncome and Child Tax Credits;
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
and poverty-focused development
assistance.
3. Watch A Place at the Table. Help
spark a national conversation about
ending hunger by watching the new
documentary about hunger and
discussing it with those around you
(www.bread.org/go/OL).