Chop Suey
Chapter 1: why is Chinese food so popular?
The popularity of Chinese food in china town and non-Chinese neighborhoods is as a result of global labor and capital markets, transformation in demography and occupation of Chinese America, and changes in the consumption patterns and American economy. The prevalence of the Chinese foods may be because Chinese restaurants tend to be small size, independent, and scattered all over the nation without a significant horizontal connection. Secondly, Chinese restaurants change hands often quickly in an industry with a high turnover. Lastly, a few people tried to systematically collect data about Chinese restaurants. Chinese food had become more popular cuisine in the restaurant industry by 1980 (Chen, 2014). However the popularity Chinese food started facing opposition and a prejudice about this food was developed. American society created enmity for Chinese food plus the immigrants who brought it to America. They targeted the Chinese food habits and invoked American eating habits.
Chapter 2: the empire and empire food.
Chinese food was carried to American shores by the forces that generated Chinese immigration. The spreading of this food was in connection with the socioeconomic and geographic expansion of America. A connection captured by a concept of empire food, which was created empire building for gratification of citizens (Chen, 2014). The notion of concept of empire food stresses that consumption has been an important goal and a benefit in the process of empire building. Empire foods have distinctive features observed in individual foodstuffs. Chinese food is one of the significant empire food bearing important differences from the individual foods. Chinese food is a food system not just a singular food item. Some of the Chinese foods have been gentrified by corporations for example tea and coffee. There was also development of American Chinese food in the course of evolution of America’s empire.
Chapter 3: Chinese cooks as stewards of empire
Chinese cooks are observed working for many companies and this became the occupation of most Chinese Americans. Such service jobs illustrated their historical role of stewardship in the emerging empire and represented a precursor to their future position in the restaurant business. Chinese started to significantly extend labor in the nineteenth century, since the western empires needed laborers to perform services (Chen, 2014). Many Chinese laborers worked as domestic servants to cook in company kitchens, private homes and on oceangoing ships. During the anti-Chinese rivalry, other Americans defended the Chinese because of the cheap outstanding service they offered. Chinese were best known to be cooks and servants. However, Chinese food remained as a target of attack and ridicule in America. Nonetheless, in the world of despise where Chinese were excluded from most occupations, they started to be valued only when they were seen performing duties rejected by whites.
Chapter 4: the cradle of Chinese foods
For a long time Chinese community and their Chinese food have been interdependent and inseparable and America’s consumption started growing. America’s Chinese food was transplanted from Chinatown in the early 1850s. The symbiotic relationship between Chinese community and Chinese food marked cultural identity. The Chinese American community emerged in 1840s with the arrival of Chinese food. This market the establishment of Chinese restaurants which acted as both eating and social meeting places. These places expanded rapidly and became important sources of revenue and by 1850; some of these restaurants had become large establishments (Chen, 2014). Norman Assing made a connection for Chinese to participate in public ceremonies after he became a restaurateur. He also tirelessly fought against ant-Chinese racism. Despite the view of some Chinese who took Assing as a person angry for power, he should be remembered for helping to put the Chinese presence on a political map.
Chapter 5: the rise of Chinese restaurants
It took a long time for American public to take in its chop suey. It had been shunned by American consumers for a long time. The improvement in the U.S economy led to an economic context for the spread of Chinese food. Americans had much money in their pockets and this made them prefer leisure travel. Eventually, Chinatown emerged as a tourist site and this transformed the occupational and demographic character of American Chinese which altered Chinatown to a town of Americans and Chinese alike (Chen, 2014). This transformation led to Chinese settlements in both small and large American towns. Even the breaking anti-Chinese movement in 1870s could not succeed to eradicate the entire Chinese presence. The anti-Chinese rivalry pushed the Chinese out of other profitable occupations hence by 1940; restaurant job became one of the main lines of work by the Chinese.
Chapter 6: the markers of American Chinese foods
To understand the making of Chinese food, it was important to investigate on the providers of Chinese food and the non-Chinese clientele. Chinese restaurants were known of staying open late into the night (Chen, 2014). In Philadelphia, it was stated that the Chinese hot soup flavor was felt from dark until two in the morning and elsewhere in Washington, Chinese did their food business in the evenings and at night. Chinese restaurants were always filled with noise from either the chatting customers or from the loud music being played. Such an establishment helped in creating an inviting free and easy environment. In New York City, the establishment attracted the bohemians as well as the share of class in the city. Chinese restaurants also had a tendency of keeping African customers in hidden corners in order to keep their white patrons who could walk away at a sight of an African American due to prejudicial attitude.
Chapter 7: Chinese-American Cuisine and the Authenticity of Chop Suey
For the observers, the appeal of Chinese food stemmed from its convenience and inexpensive prices. Chop Suey was always made simply and inexpensively and this made the Americans have a perception of low position of Chinese foods (Chen, 2014). The dish had a variety of ingredients in a single dish and it was served in a bowl consisting of a hardboiled egg, slices of pork and chicken, gravy and macaroni. In addition to affordability, many non-Chinese customers flocked into Chinese restaurants simply because the food was so appetizing. Chinese dish was savory and of a wide variety.
Chapter 8: the Chinese Brillat- Savarin
This chapter talks about Chinese food cookbooks that were published in America when Chinese food had become America’s most ubiquitous popular ethnic cuisine. Publication of these cookbooks was an important made the different Chinese food visible than what the restaurants had done (Chen, 2014). The cookbooks also served as a parameter that signified the role of Chinese Americans. Thus, the authors explored not only the Chinese food but also about the Chinese culture and history. In addition to giving technical cooking tips, the authors relayed their opinions on important political and social issues in the world around them.
References
Chen, Y. (2014). Chop suey, USA: The story of Chinese food in America.
