Review: Chow Chop Suey: Food and the Chinese American Journey, by Anne Mendelson

Anderson, E. N.

doi:10.1525/gfc.2018.18.1.97

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In her words, "The cookery now scornfully summed up by some in the mere phrase 'chop suey' spoke to non-Chinese patrons across racial boundaries. It was the first purposefully synthesized cooking style ever presented to American eatersa deliberate, audience-targeted construct whose general outlines took shape between the mid-1890s and about 1910" [3].…”

Section: Massive Immigration From Southeast Provinces In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Making the connection between Orientalism and racism at the time, immigrants from East Asia were viewed as exotic visitors who had been both despised and discriminated against by U.S. society. Systemic discrimination toward the Chinese not only disabled the immigrants' legal residences but also prohibited them from accessing jobs like blue-collared workers that paid decent wages [3]. Operating micro firms like laundry or restaurants that fulfilled the demand of the lower class in the United States became one viable scenario for these Chinese without legitimate official paperwork.…”

Section: Cultural Interaction Through Innovative Cuisinementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Transformation of Chinese Food in the United States and Its Societal Impacts

Ying

2023

CHR

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Following the pervasive trend of globalization, cultural interaction between different nations becomes possible. This article aims to distinguish between the Chinese cuisines in U.S. society that have diverged origins: the modified Chinese food which was brought by massive immigration from the southeast coastal provinces in China in the late 19th century, and the franchised cuisine from China that recently settled in the market. The historical background relating to the on-time social movements and different motivations of these two cuisines will be delineated in this article to help explain the mechanism behind Chinese culinary industries adaptation in the United States. It is argued that the Chinese cuisine brought by Cantonese immigrants undergoes cultural integration which drives spontaneous adaption of the cuisine to blend into the U.S. culture. On the contrary, the prevalence of industrialized Chinese cuisine is rather the result of a profit-driven mechanism.

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Section: Massive Immigration From Southeast Provinces In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cultural Interaction Through Innovative Cuisinementioning

confidence: 99%

The Transformation of Chinese Food in the United States and Its Societal Impacts

Ying

2023

CHR

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“…The US government not only did not provide relief and support, but in 1882, President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, the very first law that prohibited the entry of one specific ethnic group to the US and denied existing US residents any pathway to citizenship (Godoy, 2016;Gyory, 1998;Kil, 2012;Lee, 2002). The law also legitimized ways for others to persecute and force out Chinese immigrants from the general labor market, which contributed to the formation of segregated ethnic enclaves and labor niches (Barbas, 2003;Mendelson, 2016). By 1924, the Immigration Act of 1924 denied all Chinese and other Asian immigrants the right to become naturalized citizens and the ownership of land (Lee, 2002;Ngai, 1999).…”

Section: History Of Anti-asian Racism and Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These ethnic enclaves were some of the poorest and most segregated neighborhoods in large cities (Anderson, 1987;Lin, 1998;Yan and Santos, 2009). Chinese immigrants opened up new restaurants in Chinatowns where they adapted and learned to create dishes for non-Chinese patrons (Mendelson, 2016). Chinese restaurants became a symbol of "abundance" and "democracy" as eating fusion dishes such as "chop suey" and "chow mein" became not only a privilege to the wealthy, but one for the masses to be enjoyed on a regular basis (Barbas, 2003;Chen, 2014: p.3;Liu, 2015).…”

Section: History Of Anti-asian Racism and Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health inspector ratings of Asian restaurants during the early COVID-19 pandemic

2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the restaurant industry, with Asian restaurants having perhaps suffered the most, as many reported business losses well before shelter-in-place orders were announced. Media outlets argue that this decline in business reflects biases that are linked to the China- and food-related origin of COVID-19. However, discrimination against Asian Americans and their cuisine is not new, as it is rooted in a long and history of assimilation and racism. Overlooked in this body of literature, as well as in conversations on the impacts of COVID-19 on Asian restaurants, is the role of how government institutions shape these biases against a cuisine that has hundreds of years of history in the US yet remains distinctly ‘foreign’. In this study, we use 3-years of New York City restaurant health inspection data to examine trends in citation scores before and after the onset of the news of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a synthetic control approach, we find that Asian restaurants uniquely received more citations after news of the pandemic became pervasive in the US. We end by discussing the implications of this finding for the history of Asian cuisine in the US, theoretical frameworks to understand assimilation, and the restaurant industry.

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“…"The notion of hybridity invokes the fusion of two (or more) components into a third term irreducible to the sum of its parts" (Kraidy, 2005, p. 66). For example, Chinese-styled food in the US retains traces of its origins yet is "Americanized" to accommodate US diners' tastes and McDonald's Indian menu excludes beef items and incorporates local seasonings and vegetables (Coe, 2009;Lascu, 2008;Mendelson, 2016). Hence, hybridity derives from multiple sources and incubates multilayered and shifting meanings.…”

Section: Hybridization Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-culture product hybridization in pre-communist China (1912–1949)

Yan

Hyman

2019

APJML

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Purpose Studies on cross-culture marketing often focus on either localization or globalization strategies. Based on data from pre-communist China (1912–1949), product hybridization – defined as a process or strategy that generates symbols, designs, behaviors and cultural identities that blend local and global elements – emerges as a popular intermediate strategy worthy of further inquiry. After examining the mechanisms and processes underlying this strategy, a schema for classifying product hybridization strategies is developed and illustrated. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Critical historical research method is applied to historical data and historical “traces” from pre-communist China’s corporate documents, memoirs, posters, advertisements, newspapers and secondhand sources. Findings Strategic interactions between domestic and foreign companies in pre-communist China fostered products and a city (Shanghai) containing Chinese and non-Chinese elements. Informed by historical traces and data from pre-communist China (1912-1949), a 2 × 2 classification schema relating company type (i.e. foreign or domestic) to values spectrum endpoint (i.e. domestic vs foreign) was formulated. This schema reflects the value of communication, negotiation and cultural (inter)penetration that accompanies cross-culture product flows. Research limitations/implications Cross-culture marketing strategies meant to help companies satisfy diverse marketplace interests can induce a mélange of product design elements. Because product hybridization reflects reciprocity between domestic and foreign companies that embodies multiple interests and contrasting interpretations of product meanings, researchers should examine globalization and localization synergistically. Practical implications Strategies adopted by domestic and foreign companies in pre-communist China (1912–1949) can help contemporary companies design effective cross-culture marketing strategies in a global marketplace infused with competing meanings and interests. Originality/value Examining historical strategies adopted in pre-communist China (1912–1949) can inform contemporary marketers’ intuitions. Understanding product hybridization in global marketplaces can improve marketing efficiency.

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Review: Chow Chop Suey: Food and the Chinese American Journey, by Anne Mendelson

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

The Transformation of Chinese Food in the United States and Its Societal Impacts

The Transformation of Chinese Food in the United States and Its Societal Impacts

Health inspector ratings of Asian restaurants during the early COVID-19 pandemic

Cross-culture product hybridization in pre-communist China (1912–1949)

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