Hmong Elders Are Stockpiling Rice Because They Know What Hunger Feels Like

Younger generations haven’t seen firsthand the horrors of malnourishment

Photo: Nipol Plobmuang/EyeEm/Getty Images

When news of the coronavirus reached the Hmong-American community in early February, many elders counseled younger generations to prepare. How do you brace for a coming pandemic? You buy rice. Lots and lots of rice…