the hands that feed you

watercolor, 10x14”, 2025

Growing up, I remember being inundated with proverbs that felt like corny reminders to reach the basics of interacting with each other. “Treat others the way you want to be treated”, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. But nonetheless, I absorbed them and now I’m happy to be the one to give reminders that even though we’re all different in beliefs, cultures, and origins, we’re still all one big community here.

According to farmaid.org, as of January 2024 approximately 70% of U.S. Farmworkers are immigrants, with about 40% undocumented.

Immigrant workers play an essential role in sustaining US Agriculture. Since 2019, it has been a struggle for farmers to fulfill the staffing required to keep up with the demands of the industry. To simplify, available jobs that Americans are not taking.

Please understand that this time, “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” isn’t just about being grateful to the those who live back-breaking lives to feed their families. It doesn’t just mean to see that parents are being taken away from their children, or children being the ones taken. If you must see this from a lens that specifically affects you, see that these are foundational people to the whole of society. Your grocery prices will skyrocket when there are not enough workers to gather or tend to the meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy that your family relies on.