Chinese Food in the United States ( Food as Culture) - Research Paper Example

Chinese Food in the United States (Food as Culture) The development of Chinese food culture in the United States comes a long way following the introduction of Chinese foods in the country in 1780s. Evidently, this argument on the food culture will follow the development of the manner and style through which the Chinese Cuisines got their way into the American food market, as well as, analyze the complex historical process that this development had to go through. A longitudinal study (Cheung and Wu 45) undertaken in this area shows that the Chinese foods in the United States were an aspect of transnational culture, and as such, their culinary identity and authenticity in most cases rested on either the real or the imagined Chinese roots. According to Jung (27), the popularity of these Chinese cuisines in the American food market depends on the proficient ability of Chinese proprietors to adapt to different Chinese flavors, cookery and ingredients, of these Chinese cuisines to meet both the tastes as well as the market demands of the local American communities. A good example used to portray the development of the Chinese food tradition in the United States is the Chop Suey dish, whose analysis provides a clear insight into the manner and style through which the Chinese food culture penetrated the American food market, and with time, became one of the leading alternative food cultures in the country. The emergence of Chop Suey into the American food market happened during a difficult period. The United States was in a total conflict of cultures as well as racial contradictions, especially considering the emerging trends and practices after the end of the world war two. This was the period when people searched for education and exposures in new dimensions, as well as, explored their cultural dimensions across various community settings. For instance, the Chop Suey emerged in the American market at this time when a large group of the Chinese students moved to America in search for studies and better education. Coe (88) suggests that the racial and cultural contradictions at that time made the emergence of the Chop Suey dish a little controversial, and this led to its attraction of negative comments from most critics. As such, considering the time and cultural settings of the emergence of this dish, the emergence of the Chop Suey dish in the American food market may seem ridiculous, but remains logical in that time period. Roberts (45) argues that the opposition that this Chinese Cuisine, Chop Suey, received in the American food market way majorly due to its appearance and outlook. It composed mainly of chopped dishes and a mix of different foodstuffs to make one dish. The main ingredients of a Chop Suey dish are meat and eggs, quickly cooked with vegetables such as cabbage, bean sprouts, and celery, and then bound in a starch-thickened sauce. At first, most American disregarded the dish as unauthentic and almost ridiculous for one to purchase and consume owing to the new developments in culture and diversity. However, with time, the dish was able to command considerable following from American consumers, who later accepted and embraced it in their food culture. This just goes to show how difficult it was for the Chinese food culture to penetrate and get its way into the American food market. Diet habit is cultural tradition in the American food market. Every group that entered the United States came along with its diet habit, and this had a significant change on the American food culture as practiced by the Native Americans. This begins with the red Indians from the north, to the African-Americans who entered the country mostly as slaves, and later to the Indians and Chinese who penetrated the country in search for work and other greener pastures. Each cultural group had its own diet habit, which denoted its cultural traditions, such as the salt and pepperish foods accustomed to the Hindu culture. As such, the Chinese entry into America also had a significant change in the diet habits of Americans. This is evident through the history of Chinese immigrants who moved into the United States. This movement reflects a multinational culture history flow of population, social cultures, as well as customs. A study by Leo (n.d) provides that the rise and popularity of the Chinese food restaurants into the United States reflect the transplantation of the Asian diet into the American society. Furthermore, this popularity also expounds on the momental growth that the Chinese food culture managed to achieve so far since its inception into the American food market. More people within the American society are opting to go for the Chinese cuisines at china town or in major Chinese restaurants in town rather than go for their normal food joints with westernized foodstuff. The Chinese have various symbols representing their entry into America. However, of all the important symbols of the Chinese entry into the American society and culture, the Chinese food culture stands out amongst them all. As such, in a recent study (Zhou 49) argues that food is in fact the earliest, as well as, the leading or most representative symbol of the Chinese culture in the United States. the entry of this Chinese food culture into the united states followed with the life cycle of Chinese immigrants into the country, their vocational skills, labor, business capital and ability, family rituals, as well as, other important cultural traditions, philosophical beliefs, and religious following. An avid researcher, Zhao (24) suggests that as early as 1849, the Chinese immigrants living in America were already in a position to put up a Chinese restaurant that had three hundred seats, and located in San Francisco. This was majorly to cater for the Chinese immigrants living in the United States especially those who longed for the tastes of homemade cuisines and culinary. However, this nostalgia for home made food by Chinese living in America developed into a business prospective whereby the restaurant attracted people from other cultures, apart from the Chinese, to sample and eat food from this restaurant. This was one of the major steps of the acceptance and adoption of the Chinese food culture in the United States, as the more people consumed these foods, the more they liked them and preferred them to other local cuisines and foods. Shearer (197) argues that from that moment onwards, the popularity of Chinese restaurants in the united states increases, and as such, the existence of Chinese restaurants in the united states has been on an upwards trend following the inception of the Chinese restaurants in the united states in 1784. The dietary practices observed by the Chinese and applied in the Chinese restaurants was one of the major attractive features of the culture into the American society. Most of the people in the American society opted to go for their food and drinks at Chinese restaurants as opposed to the American restaurants. The fast growth of these Chinese restaurants in the United States is also attributable to the strong culture of the Chinese even while away from home. Naturally, when people move from their home country to live and settle in another country, or another region away from their homes, they always adapt to the cultures, trends and beliefs of the new place where they settle. This is also evident through the adage, when one goes to Rome, he or she has to do what the Romans do, and by this, it entails acting, eating, playing, and even sleeping like the Romans in a literal perspective. As such, the immigration of the Chinese into America also had to follow a similar setting whereby these China men had to drop their cultural practices and beliefs and adopt those of their hosts, the American culture. On the contrary, the Chinese emigrated from their homeland with their traditions and culture to America, and instead of adopting the new American culture that was of their hosts, they held onto their old Chinese culture. An avid researcher in this field (Coe 88) proves that the Chinese were able to hold onto their culture even after leaving China land, and as such, able to set it up in the American soil. According to Zhao (24), the Chinese in America were the ones who instead converted a major following of Native Americans and other non-American cultures living in the country to like and love their foods. The strong attachment that these Chinese had on their traditional food cultures was one of the leading features that attracted most non-Chinese compatriots to embrace and adopt the Chinese food culture. In fact, even some Americans abandoned their American food culture for the Chinese food culture, owing to its dietary strengths, as well as, the simple practices and style in preparation. Furthermore, the Chinese who were living in America and still holding strong onto their food culture persuaded them to join and adopt the Chinese culture and eating habits. This is the reason behind the fast growth of Chinese restaurants in the United States because its target consumers are not only the Chinese immigrated into America, but also the Americans and other residents living in the country. Chang (87) argues that another feature that provides a clear and concise revelation of the history of a nation is the food culture. Food culture is a very important aspect of the history of a nation, as it enables other players to read the history and understand the triumphs and downfalls of the community or nation. The American food market has a number of hotels and food courts, which provide various traditional types of foods related to certain cultures or particular groups, such as the Mexican tea, the Indian muffins, as well as the French fires. Furthermore, there are restaurants and hotels that deal specifically with certain cuisines and delicacies from a particular group or culture in the United States, such as Brazilian cuisines, or the Chinese cuisines, that are taking the lead currently in the American food market. In the olden days where there was little civilization and global immigration of persons, it was easy to locate people and know their culture from what they ate. As such, there were particular foods stuffs for particular tribes. This also enabled the identification of an individual from a group of persons not for who he was, but from what he ate. Furthermore, the way of preparing these foods before consumption also portrays the culture of an individual. This is because two people from different cultures can eat the same food, but the manner and style of preparation differs completely from each other. For instance, the style by which the Americans prepare noodles and the style by which the Chinese prepare noodles are very different from each other. In fact, some Americans claim that the Chinese noodles are tastier as opposed to the American noodles, yet it is the same dish. this also goes to show the strength of the Chinese food culture in the American market, whereby even the American prefer the Chinese made cuisines as opposed to their own food. According to Jayasanker (89) a food culture that gets more following from other cultures rather than its own people, as well as, having this development in a new country, this shows just how strong the culture is. This makes the Chinese food industry to be among the most important experiences of the Chinese immigrants who moved into the United States. This industry developed from scratch, amidst lots of opposition from the host American culture, as well as, the multicultural setting within which the American homeland provided. According to Coe (87), the development of the Chinese food culture in the United States was a very instrumental milestone of the numerous exports from China to America. As such, from as early as the twentieth century, more and more of the Chinese immigrants moving into America became either an owner or a worker at one of the many Chinese restaurants springing up within the United States. This is evident considering the number of Chinese restaurants available in the American food market today. In a recent study, (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sford/alternatv/s05/articles/leo_history.html) it is evident that the number of Chinese restaurants in America far exceeds the total number of some of the leading American based restaurants combined, such as the Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonalds, as well as, PizzaHuts This is complete evidence that the Chinese food culture has a growing prevalence in the United States, and as such, goes to command a wider acceptance within the market across various cultures living and working in the country. It is also imperative to consider the long history that the Chinese food culture had to go through before getting the recognition and support that it is currently enjoying across the United States as according to various researchers in the field such as Roberts (45). One of the main Chinese American dishes that did not get an easy ride in its rise to American fame in the food industry was the Chop Suey dish. This Chinese culinary received a significant amount of opposition from its consumers across various cultures, inclusive of the American culture, before they have to learn to accept and embrace the dish as a favorite delicacy among most families. Major antagonists of the Chop Suey characterizations in the Chinese foods particularly refer it to be from a culture that is les authentic, and as such, of a lower following and command than the other existing food culture. However, this was not a permanent opposition as the Chinese food culture managed to overcome all the obstacles and opposition mentioned above to become one of the leading food cultures across the American market, and to grow in prevalence within the United States. The fast rise of the presence of Chinese restaurants in America is clear evidence of the strong presence of the Chinese food culture in the united states since its inception in the country in 1784 (Coe 34). Races are another culture in the food industry that is evident in the American food market. Each race has a particular type of food that it considers its national food, or a particular recipe used in preparing their food. As such, in a case whereby two or more races prepare the same type of food, the difference in the taste and color of the food will be in the recipe each tribe or group uses, as well as the style and mode of preparing the food. These differences denote the racial differences in a multicultural setting, as well as expose the different food cultures available within a given community setting. Different races have different food cultures. As such, when these food cultures come together in the same multicultural perspective, such as the American setting, they raise contradictions and conflicts as to which food culture to follow. According to Jung (85), some of these racial conflicts arise due to the different kinds of foods that they consume, or the varieties of diet that they partake. However, it is imperative to note that it is in essence a resignation of choice for immigrants from China to work in Chinese restaurant businesses. A longitudinal study (Shearer 42) undertaken in this area provides that the essence of Chinese immigrants to the united states working in Chinese based restaurant businesses is the profession of Chinese fending for themselves. After the completion of the first American transcontinental railroad in 1868, millions of Americans moved to California in an effort to make their dreams come true, especially those dreams of having a west coast lifestyle. At almost the same time, an economic recession hit the city of California in the 1870s. This led to massive job layoffs, as well as, an increasing presence of unemployment within the city. This economic recession drove most people, as well as, industries and businesses into bankruptcy. Furthermore, the government promulgated the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 during this same period of economic hardships. As such, the Chinese were in between a rock and a hard place because this act excluded them from making any significant economic milestones. The Chinese immigrants to the United States faced pressure from all sides, such as from the economic perspective as introduced by the Act of 1882, and from the social perspectives, especially considering the racial harassment and discrimination that they endured in social life. Consequently, a deterioration of the economic environment at that time, coupled with the increased racial discrimination forced most of the Chinese immigrants to work in low profit industries for long hours, such as the restaurant businesses in order to make a living (Chang 43). A research study by Coe (87) provides that most of the people who work in Chinese restaurants do so because they cannot find a better place to work, or a better job as opposed to the restaurant business. In fact, this makes then to adapt to the new economic conditions and learn the craft in order to make a living. This ties down most of the Chinese immigrants living in America to work in these Chinese restaurants because of the difficulties in finding suitable employment opportunities due to their natural status. Immigrants in the United States find it hard to land on lucrative job opportunities as opposed to the Native American citizens. The early Chinese restaurants in the United States earned the name of Chop Suey houses since this as the main Chinese American dish initially introduced in the American market. This makes Chop Suey a Chinese food symbol that is very common and popular within the United States. This developed to the extent whereby restaurant work became an ethnic symbol of the Chinese Americans. Incidentally, the American racial historical environment background caused the professional racialization experienced by the Chinese living in America. The development of the Chop Suey dish denotes a historical process through which the Chinese Food Culture had to undertake, and cumbered with numerous contradictions. This local culture had an international background. This is majorly because it received its fair share of opposition and rejection during its invention and introduction into the American food market. The invention of this dish followed a Chinese craving for a home meal that had an American touch. In fact, it is not surprising that the Chop Suey dish is not from their homeland in China, but rather developed specifically for the American market. (Zhou 47). In a close up, it is evident that the various dishes adopted by the Chinese in America had to go through a series of seasoning before getting the wider acceptance and embracement that they currently enjoy. Work Cited Chang, Kwang-Chih. Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives. Philadelphia: SMC Publishing Incorporated, 1997. Print. Cheung, Sidney and Wu David. Globalization of Chinese Food. London: Routledge, 2012. Print. Chinese Food Culture. Travel China Guide.Com. [Online] Available at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine.htm Coe, Andrew. Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Jayasanker, Laresh. Sameness in Diversity: Food Culture and Globalization in the San Francisco Bay Area and America, 1965—2005. Ann Abhor: ProQuest, 2008. Print. Jung, John. Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants. New York: John Jung, 2010. Print. Leo, Luo. The History of Chinese Migration to the US. KCC ALTERNA-TV News. [Online] Available at Http://Www2.Hawaii.Edu/~Sford/Alternatv/S05/Articles/Leo_History.Html Roberts, A. China to Chinatown: Chinese Food in the West. Boston: Reaktion Books, 2004. Print. Shearer, Benjamin. Culture and Customs of the United States: Culture. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Print. Swislocki, Mark. Culinary Nostalgia: Regional Food Culture and the Urban Experience in Shanghai. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2009 Zhao, Xiaojian. Remaking Chinese America: Immigration, Family, and Community, 1940-1965. Florida: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print. Zhou, Min. Contemporary Chinese America: Immigration, Ethnicity, and Community Transformation. Washington, D.C: Temple University Press, 2009. Print. Read More