David Fairchild: Food Explorer

David Fairchild was a botanist from Kansas who worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 19th century. He created the Section of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the USDA at only 22 years old. He is a pioneer for American cuisine which consists of foods from around the world. Fairchild traveled to more than 50 countries to fulfill his curiousity about food, he was sort of the original foodie.

During this time as we have read from our textbook travel was no simple task, so the fact that he did travel, albeit for work, reveals how important he thought it was to not only diversify American cuisine, but expand cultural understanding in America. The article includes a story where Fairchild practiced international diplomacy in Germany in order to bring hops to the United States. Finally the article concludes with the metaphor that "almost every food we eat is an immigrant", which demonstrates that no matter how much people may resist and stop immigration in the United States it is hard to escape just how interconnected our global world is, and just how enriched our lives are because of those interconnections.

  https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/20/586459088/like-lemons-quinoa-thank-this-food-explorer-for-bringing-them-to-your-plate

Bangledeshi Food in Michigan

Bandhu Gardens connects Bangladeshi women in Michigan together, along with their families and supplies local produce to restaurants in the surrounding area. Emily Staugaitis started the project which was inspired by her friendship with a Bangladeshi immigrant, named Minara Begum. When she moved to the U.S. with her family, Begum took her garden and cooking skills she had learned in Bangledesh and started a South Asian garden in her backyard. The produce that she grows feeds her family and visitors. The surplus of Begum's garden and the gardens of six other homes is sold to female run restaurants in an effort to not only provide female immigrants with employment, but support female entrepreneurial-ship too.

One day Staugaitis hopes to widen the scope of Bandhu Gardens to create a network among women and their families in Detroit that will help those who are immigrants recieve guidance to navigate the systems of the U.S. like the health care system. Toward the end of the article the author, Dorothy Hernandez, writes that "the current dialogue on immigration and the social and political climate have strengthened Bandhu Gardens' resolve." I hope that this project continues to grow and thrive because it unites people across cultures.

Link to the Article:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/14/519214834/this-garden-connects-bangladeshi-women-with-restaurants-and-each-other  

Link to Bandu Gardens Website:
https://foodlabdetroit.com/directory/bandhu-gardens-

The State Departments new Appointee

There is new proof that the President may be trying to end the United States refugee resettlement program. He has appointed Andrew Veprek to fill the position of deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). The article from POLITICO notes that Veprek has been known to harbor anti-immigrant views, which was made evident by his role in encouraging the Trump administration to not participate in international talks concerning migration issues.
His position prior to this appointment was a Foreign Service officer for the White House where he worked closely with Stephen Miller and the Domestic Policy Council. According to the article, Veprek "argued in favor of dramatically lowering the nation's annual cap on refugee admissions." (Toosi, Politico) Under this administration the number of refugee admissions has slowed to a crawl. The current cap on refugees that the U.S.is willing to accept is 45,000 per year, down from President Obama's commitment to accept 110,000 refugees annually. In justification for this decrease the current administration and its allies in Congress have portrayed refugees as being potential sources for terrorism. Those in opposition to this policy say that all refugees that are admitted to the U.S. are thoroughly screened first. Lastly by having an isolationist, populist foreign agenda, the United States is further complicating the problems that "65 million people who are displaced around the world because of war, famine, and other calamities" (Toosi, Politico) already face.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/08/andrew-veprek-state-department-refugee-admissions-448210