I don’t really understand how there can be a specific types of food classified as American. Before reading the Gabaccia article, my thoughts of American food immediately went to hot dogs, cheeseburgers and fries. Yet, as I read on how lots of immigrants’ ethnic foods were restricted and condemned, like how Sauerkraut became Victory cabbage during World War II, I realized that all those foods came from somewhere other than America and mixed with other cultures to be what they are today.
It is distressing to think that decades ago Americans here were trying to standardize American cuisine. Not only did they despise and denounce ethnic foods, but Americans even had to go so far as saying it wasn’t “nutritious” – and during the Great Depression they blamed the immigrant diet for the lower mass weight kids had at the time. Honestly, it also is more alarming as a vegan today to hear about these former American “nutritionists” and mothers in the past lecture in schools about how important it is to drink cow’s milk and include a heavy amount of meat in our diets, when in reality, those have been scientifically proven to increase risk of cancer and heart disease. Even disregarding my stance on a healthy diet, it was utterly wrong to try to standardize food in America. People come here from many different countries with contrasting languages, traditions, and food. And even if we take into account all the American citizens to this day that are many generations from the first immigrants of their family tree that came here, America has fifty huge states that cover thousands of miles. It is absurd to think urban New Yorkers will have a similar diet southern Texans. We have different histories and customs despite being united.
Immigrants are still making their way to America today – and many being deported because of our new president’s orders. We are never going to be perfectly unified in our ways and that is okay. America is not a melting pot but a mixed up salad where the separate ingredients combine in one bowl to create savory flavors. The ingredients may sometimes stick to each other and create a new flavor, and some may just remain obstinate in their own flavor. If we really want to classify American food, then that would be any food that enters American territory.
