{"id":13240,"date":"2021-10-15T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/?p=13240"},"modified":"2025-04-30T17:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T17:08:12","slug":"hispanic-heritage-month-our-food-is-definitely-a-language-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/hispanic-heritage-month-our-food-is-definitely-a-language-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Hispanic Heritage Month: Our Food Is Definitely A Language Of Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Building Latino power in the Central Valley through public health and equity<\/span><\/i><\/h2>[Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>]

The Latino community is celebrated for its diversity. More than 62 million strong, from various origins, races, ideas, languages, religions and cuisine. Latinos contribute to every aspect of American life. Afro-latinos, Chicanos, multiracial, indigenous, Latinx members of the LGBTQ community, all share the love of their identity; continuously inspiring and growing our passion for more- Latinidad!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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While honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, we must also reflect on the real hunger within the Latino community. At No Kid Hungry, we rally to fulfill our goal of ending childhood hunger and its disproportionate effect on families of color.<\/span><\/p>

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s 2020 Household Food Security in the U.S. report<\/a>, hunger among Latino families was exacerbated by the pandemic. The number of Latino families with children facing hunger rose by 28% with more than one in five having experienced hunger in the past year.<\/span><\/p>

That\u2019s why we\u2019re continuing to advocate and increase awareness about policies and programs that bring relief to Latino children and their families. Nationally, we have expanded our partnerships in the Latino community, teaming up with a number of organizations like the National Day Laborer Organizing Network<\/a>, UnidosUS<\/a>, the League of United Latin American Citizens<\/a>, and other regional and local groups to help make sure Latino families and kids across the country have access to the nutrition they need.<\/span><\/p>

Right here in California, local Latino organizations, individuals and schools are working hard to bring food to kids who need it. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Genoveva Islas, MPH<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Genoveva Islas and her team at Cultiva La Salud is a perfect example.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAs Latinos, we get to celebrate our pride every day. It\u2019s within us, in the celebration of our beautiful music and the consumption of our wonderful food,\u201d <\/span><\/i>she says. Genoveva does not wait for Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate Latino culture, or to acknowledge or to give thanks to her community. <\/span>\u201cIt is certainly good to be able to celebrate it with other cultures, for them to get to know us a little bit better and learn about our traditions as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Genoveva Islas is the executive director of Cultiva La Salud<\/a>, a community organization dedicated to creating health equity by fostering changes that support healthy eating and active living in California\u2019s Central Valley.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Having grown up in the Central Valley to farm working parents, Genoveva\u2019s leadership started at a very young age. Serving as an interpreter navigating health care and social services. Growing up in the heartland of the United Farm Workers\u2019 movement, Genoveva was inspired to be in service to her community, particularly with promoting public health.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAddressing the health disparities that exist among the Latino community is necessary. It is important to be intentional about cultivating health because policies, systems and environments have a huge impact on our community\u2019s health and well-being.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>

As a board member of the Fresno Unified School District, Genoveva is committed to working together to help improve access to healthy foods and beverages. She was part of a statewide coalition to get the \u201cSchool Meals For All Act\u201d passed in California. Nearly 70% of the FUSD student population identifies as Latino. <\/span>\u201cWe know that there are a lot of vulnerable families that are experiencing food insecurity, so it\u2019s a real source of pride for me to say that all students in the state of California will be able to have a free breakfast and lunch from now on.\u201d<\/span><\/i> With universal school meals in California, Cultiva La Salud will continue to advance their advocacy to ensure those meals are healthy school meals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Genoveva believes that as Latinos we can promote greater health equity by focusing on:<\/span><\/p>

  1. Addressing poverty and building wealth. Supporting Latino-owned businesses, creating pathways of opportunity for Latinos and immigrants through business development or career technical education within the food system.<\/span><\/li>
  2. Building political power by empowering young and older Latinos to run at all levels from school boards to congress who have decision making over food policies but also by establishing and taking seats at local food policy councils.<\/span><\/li>
  3. Building capacity and self-sufficiency for the Latino community through nutrition education, creating healthy food environments and by expanding eligibility provisions for nutrition programs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Thank you to the team of Hunger Heroes at Cultiva La Salud!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Let this Hispanic Heritage Month be a celebration of the strength and resiliency of leaders like Genoveva and her team at the Cultiva La Salud, working tirelessly to ensure that all kids have the food to power their dreams.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Read more stories from\u00a0No Kid Hungry<\/a>\u00a0staff and other partners from across the United States:<\/p>