Chinese Food in the United States - Annotated Bibliography Example

Chinese food in the United s (food as culture) I am studying Chinese food in the United s. Because I want to find out how America is dominated by Chinese food culture to help my readers understand why Chinese traditional foods are still dominant. Coe, Andrew. Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chienes Food in the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. This book is an explanation of how Chinese cuisines reached the United States. Coe examines different Chinese visitors in the United States and how their efforts in introducing Chinese foods in America. He begins this exploration in 1784 and reveals how Chinese restaurant have grown up to 40,000. The author also reveals that the Chinese immigrants worked hard to overcome ethnicity in order to export their ingredients in the United States. Furthermore, the author determines how the Chinese cuisines have shaped the American cuisines. This source utilizes both primary and secondary evidence on how Chinese food came to America. I find this source to be helpful in explaining the origin of the Chinese foods in the United States. It will help in developing a background for my topic. It will help the reader realize how this food increased in the foreign land, America. The source credibility is from the author who is a writer of different newspapers including the popular New York Times, and has experience in Chinese restaurants. Hayford, Charles W. “Who’s Afraid of Chop Suey?” Education About Asia, 16.3 (2011): 7 -12. Print. In this article, Hayford explores one of the Chinese Cuisines that has become dominant in the United States. In particular, this researcher examines how “Chop Suey” went through different challenges before it was accepted in different restraints and be used by different ethnic groups. The Northerners believed that “Chop Suey” was not authentic (7). Congress laws on immigration after the World War II saw a decline in Chop Suey. As a result of education and restaurants competitiveness, this cuisine was also appreciated. Asian-Americans students use it to embrace national heritage in showing cultural fusion. However, this journal article does not provide methods used in collecting data. Fortunately, its arguments are well explained using both secondary and primary sources of data. This article will be helpful in explaining how Chinese food helps them in embracing their national heritage in the age of cultural fusion. I believe that relating Hayford integration of Chop Suey with china will help in explaining how food can identify a given nation. This article relates to Coe book, which provides history on how different Chinese foods reached the United States. The article credibility comes from the use of primary and secondary data. Also, the author is an independent scholar who has worked on other Chinese works in America. Lew, Jason K. “Chinese Food.” Geneseo Food Research, 2010. Web. April 28, 2014. < https://wiki.geneseo.edu/display/food/Chinese+Food> The author of this article explores the perception of Chinese food in America. He seeks to determine whether this food is perceived as healthy. The researcher collected primary data during a Chinese Night at Geneseo. The survey revealed that 72 percent believe that Chinese food is healthier. Conversely, 28 percent believe it is not. Respondents consider Chinese food healthier than the one that is westernized. It was also revealed that some people believe that they are eating traditional Chinese food when they are using the westernized one. The researcher concludes that this perception is what led to the adaptation of Chinese food in the United States. This source uses primary data in generating conclusions. The researcher reports the findings from a survey based in the United States. The source will be vital in explaining how Chinese food is perceived and what enhances its adaptation in American culture. The perception held by Americans on traditional Chinese food will be helpful in strengthening this argument. The source relates with Coe book and Hayford article in explaining how the Chinese food has remained influential in America. I find this source reliable because it presents current primary data on Chinese food. Also, the author is a member of Geneseo, a recognized state University that also participates in food research. Kittler, Pamela G., Sucher, Kathryn and Nelms, Marcia. Food and Culture, 6th edition. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. These authors gather information relating to the food culture of different ethnic groups living in the United States. Their aim was to provide health information by understanding these groups food culture and their nutrition habits. The information also covers regional and religious groups. Some of the groups examined include Chinese, Koreans, South Americans and Central Americans. Each group food culture and nutrition habits are unique and helps identify them. Precisely, these authors were aiming at showing that each food culture for any group in America is significant in health. Although this book covers different wide groups, it is successful in referring to other sources. It supports each group culture on food using both secondary and primary sources. I intend to use this book in showing how Chinese cuisines have dominated the use of foods from other cultures. I connect this book with Lew article in the explanation of how Chinese food is dominant in the United States when despite the racial challenges. I find this source credible because the authors have used primary and secondary data. Also, they have written other books on food culture and they have received good rating. Jing, Jun. Feeding China’s Little Emperors: Food, Children, and Social Change. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000. Print. Jing explains why the traditional foods have remained dominant despite the changing cultures. This author reveals that this result from the idea that Chinese children are not allowed to chose their diet. This author examines the impacts that commercializing food has on groups like Chinese and Islamic. In particular he examines the social implications of this action. He addresses the need to develop better scientific health care methods that will help raise children. Although this is not a current source, it provides insights on how the Chinese food culture is under threats. I hope to use the source in explaining threats on Chinese foods. This source contrast with Lew and Hayford sources on what threatens Chinese food. The later articles revealed that racial challenges and perceptions were threatening these foods. This source is made credible by the author strategy of using multiple sources. He draws data from sociology, anthropology, economy and also in political environment. Newman, Jacqueline. Chinese Food Habits in the United States. 1999. Web. April 28 2014. < http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/nutr216/ref/symposium_newman.html> In this article, Newman examines the foods that the Chinese in America eat. Furthermore, he examines whether what they eat is what they used earlier before coming to the United States. Finally, he examines the changes in their diet. This researcher reviews different studies and reveals that the Chinese feeding habits have remained unchanged. This is particular in their dinner meals. However, changes are experienced in breakfast and lunch. This compels the researcher to conclude that one has to understand Chinese traditional culture when wishing to explore their feeding habits. Therefore, improving on this research, it is vital to involve the Chinese who have a belief that there is nothing significant like eating. Although this is an old source, it utilizes different studies to understand changes in Chinese feeding habits. I find this article helpful in arguing what Chinese in America eat. The article recognizes that there are changes in their feeding habits, but it has not broken the traditional eating habits. This source relates with Jing book, which also reveals how Chinese food is still dominant. The source is credible for the reason that it was a paper presented in a symposium and accepted. Also, it is retrieved from Oregon State University website. Finally, the author uses other sources that have explored the use of Chinese foods. Ma, Jintao, Qu, Hailin, Njite, David and Chen, Su. “Western and Asian Customer’s Perception towards Chinese Restaurants in the United States.” Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 12 (2011): 121 – 239. Print. The researchers of this article were examining how western and Asian customers perceived the Chinese restaurants based in the United States. The study was a threefold seeking to understand how what led to customers satisfaction in Chinese restaurants, what relationships is their between customers satisfaction and the intention to revisit, and how culture moderation effect affects these relationships. This was done through a case of a Chinese restaurant that is based in Midwestern in the United States. It was revealed that the threefold influenced customer relationships in this restaurants. Satisfaction promoted customers revisits. Also, culture regulated the relationship between service performance, employees and customers’ general satisfaction. This primary source will be helpful in explaining how Chinese food is tied with culture. In the article, the researchers explore how culture regulates the relationships between service performance, employees and satisfaction in Chinese restaurants. The source relates with Newman article on how Chinese traditional culture shapes their feeding habits. The source credibility is enhanced by the idea that the article is a peer review. Storm, Stephanie. “China’s Food Deal extends its Reach, Already mighty.” The New York Times, May 29, 2013. Web. 28 April 2014. < http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/business/wariness-over-a-deal-intended-to-deliver-more-pork-to-china.html?pagewanted=all> In article, Storm explores how the American dependence on Chinese business is shaping business in the United States. The author begins by providing statistics on how the U.S. food imports from China have increased. This has led to the American old pork producer to agree becoming part of china’s meet producer, Shuanghui International. This strategy is seen as a step for China to increase the supply of its foods on the United States. The author also reveals that China is recognized for its performance in food industry. It is working to enhance food safety. However, Storm concludes that there is need for regulators to limit the supply of China foods in order to protect consumers from scarcity challenges. Although, this is a website article, the author makes the work exemplary by making references to reliable sources like the government agencies. I intend to use the articled in explaining some of the current events that increase the dominance of Chinese food in the United States. The article relates to Lew, Hayford, and core works on how the food became dominant in the United States. They differ because the other sources deal with early factors while Storm’s source deal with the current factors. The source is reliable because it is sourced from the New York Times Wertz, Richard R. “Cuisines.” Food & Drink, 2011. Web. 28 April 2014. < http://www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture/contents/food/p-food-c01s01.html> Wertz explores Chinese cuisine in this article. He begins by providing a Chinese understanding of food. Also, he identifies the utensil like chopstick and other solid foods in this culture. He also identifies Chinese meal features like vegetarianism. The author reveals that cold drinks are unacceptable in Chinese meal because they are believed to interfere with a person’s process of digestion. Hot fluids are vital in enhancing digestion. The author also identifies some of the Chinese cuisines and their names, which are derived from regions. They include Hunan, Fujian, Hainan, and Hakka cuisine. Also, there is Taiwanese Cuisine and Macanese cuisine. However, there are typical meals which include fried noodles, noodle soup, tofu dishes and steamed fish. For breakfast Chinese serve rice balls, tea egg, Congee, or Soy milk among other foods. Chinese food has also spread in Western Europe and Northern America. Some of the trend in this food is that it has been acknowledged to reduce malnutrition in China. This article will be significant in examining current trends that make Chinese food acknowledged in the United States. The trend of reducing malnourishment will be a good basis in strengthening an argument. The article relates with Storm’s article in revealing current trends that support the use of Chinese cuisines. The type of Chinese cuisines identified in this article will be vital in providing examples. The source credibility is achieved when the author makes references to other reliable sources. He makes references to reliable organizations like Food and Agricultural Organization. Caulderwood, Kathleen. Interview: Food Writer Diana Kuan gets Creative with Chinese Cuisine. Asia Society, 2013. Web. 30 April 2014. In this interview, Caulderwood interacts with Diana Kuan to understand her experience with mixing the Chinese Cuisine. Kuan has an experience in which she grew seeing her family preparing Latin-flavored cuisines in a Chinese restaurant. She is an expert in preparation of Chinese foods. He aims at mixing different flavors to create new things. Kuan reveals that there is need to research more on the preparation of Chinese cuisines. She narrates that she knew this was necessary when she began to receive emails from different Americans asking how to prepare certain dishes. It was this gap that inspired her to author a book that provides guidelines on preparing Chinese cuisines. This primary source will be significant in supporting the argument that different Americans continue to embrace the Chinese food culture. The response by Kuan that he used to receive emails from Americans to direct them on this action will create a strong argument. Furthermore, her move to develop a book on preparing Chinese foods reveals how this culture is still influential. This source relates to Wertz article on how Chinese food is still influential. The source credibility comes from the author who is an expert in preparing Chinese cuisines. Read More