Chinese food first became popular in America under the shadow of violence against Chinese aliens; a despised racial minority ineligible for United States citizenship. The founding of late-nineteenth-century "chop suey" restaurants that pitched an altered version of Cantonese cuisine to white patrons despite a virulently anti-Chinese climate is one of several pivotal events in Anne Mendelson's thoughtful history of American Chinese food. Chow Chop Suey uses cooking to trace different stages of the Chinese community's footing in the larger white society.Mendelson begins with the arrival of men from the poorest district of Canton Province during the Gold Rush. She describes the formation of American Chinatowns and examines the curious racial dynamic underlying the purposeful invention of hybridized Chinese American food; historically prepared by Cantonese-descended cooks for whites incapable of grasping Chinese culinary principles. Mendelson then follows the eventual abolition of anti-Chinese immigration laws and the many demographic changes that transformed the face of Chinese cooking in America during and after the Cold War. Mendelson concludes with the post-1965 arrival of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan; Southeast Asia; and many regions of mainland China. As she shows; they have immeasurably enriched Chinese cooking in America but tend to form comparatively self-sufficient enclaves in which they; unlike their predecessors; are not dependent on cooking for a white clientele.
#1516067 in Books 2010-08-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x 1.00 x 5.80l; 1.25 #File Name: 0231147589304 pages
Review
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. A Fascinating ReadBy S. W.A Chinese major in college; I decided to seek out a book on the Uyghur ethnic minority; a topic of deep interest to me.I knew very little on the topic so I decided to pick a book somewhat at random. This book proved to be an informative and entertaining read about the Uyghur population. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in China or Uyghur culture.12 of 29 people found the following review helpful. Not balanced at all. Extremely pro-separatist and even sinophobic ...By HowieNot balanced at all. Extremely pro-separatist and even sinophobic. I've been to the regions multiple times. Sure there are tensions; but it's not exactly black and white as portrayed in the book; Xinjiang is a very diverse place; there's a lot of gray in the middle.There's definitely a divide between northern vs. southern Xinjiang; the former is more developed; industrialized; and ethnically diverse than the latter and also urban vs. rural Uyghur aspirations. The author shouldn't just put everything in one box. In my travel in Xinjiang; I got the sense that there's definitely a whole spectrum of people's views on the prospect of Xinjiang's development; some are concerned; some are bitter; anti-government; some are critical; and some are helpful. The point is it's a mixed bag. There's people on the fringe who resent the government and there's also moderates.Besides; the separatist blue flag on the cover already says too much about where the author stands even before you open the book.My suggestion is go visit the region on your own with an open mind; and you'll get a whole spectrum of views.As a serious academic; Bovingdon show provide all sides of the story.
