Coffee is political.
Food is political.
Your damn clothing is political.

I would not be the person I am today without immigration.

If you follow me on social media or read my work on Medium, it should come as no surprise to you that I am vehemently opposed to the recently signed immigration executive order.

This weekend, there is a nationwide fundraiser for the ACLU with over 600 cafes participating.

“Like a hot mug of drip coffee spilled on a crisp white apron, these orders are a dark stain on our national conscience, and as Americans we feel compelled to stand up against them.” – Sprudge

Keep coffee out of politics!

But oh, did you not know that politics is already in every part of the coffee chain?

  • The very history of cafes is rooted in political discourse
  • Sustainability of the industry, in all forms – community, environment, farmworker rights, access to health care, coffee prices – all have ties to laws and politics
  • Coffee pickers are migrant workers

I celebrated the Lunar New Year last weekend. It was bittersweet, as it also came on the weekend when protests erupted at many major airports around the US. I read about green card holders who were denied entrance, legal immigrants who were turned away and sent back home, and people who thought religious-based questioning at the border was legal.

I’m the daughter of immigrants.

I grew up eating my culture’s food and was shamed for it in the lunchroom. I didn’t have a “traditional” Thanksgiving meal (by traditional, I mean a turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole) until I was 21. We happily ate roast duck and braised pork belly.

I drink coffee that was picked by migrants’ hands. I eat food that was made by immigrants’ and refugees’ hands.

After all, without immigrants and refugees, you wouldn’t be able to exoticize our food or fetishize our bodies.