Tag Page ImmigrantFamilies

I’m Not Skipping School Lunch Because I’m Not Hungry

I’m a high school student from El Salvador. School lunch isn’t free here—it's $21 per week. For most kids, that’s nothing. For my family, it’s why I go home every day pretending: “Yeah, I already ate.” My parents work two jobs, at a construction site and a hotel. Our income is just above the free-lunch threshold. In other words, we are poor… just not “poor enough.” When classmates see me skipping lunch, they ask if I’m dieting. I smile and say “Yeah,” while my stomach growls. Last week, I fainted during PE from low blood sugar. The nurse asked, “Did you eat lunch today?” I nodded. It was the first time in my life I hid hunger like a shameful secret. That’s immigrant life—not the worst you’ll see, but never “eligible enough” for help. #SchoolLunch #HungerInAmerica #ImmigrantFamilies