Month: February 2018

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Xenophobia and Street Food Vendors

Absara Hassan

Response 1: Sean Basinski, “Hot Dogs, Hipsters, and Xenophobia: Immigrant Street Food Vendors in New York”

There’s almost never a time when we don’t come across one: a shiny metal cart reflecting the view of the city, emitting an aroma that mixes with the urban atmosphere. Food carts can be found at any corner, and while we often stop by one in between classes, or just on our way somewhere, we rarely consider the role food vendors have played in the history of New York, specifically our immigration history. Continue reading “Xenophobia and Street Food Vendors”

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Diversity and Culture Through Food

Response 1 of 5: “Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures” by Fred L. Gardaphè and Wenying Xu

by Mariam Esa

 

As rather social beings, we humans like to make plans quite often to hang out with one another. And usually when making these plans, there’s the very important factor to consider: “What are we eating?” Living in New York City, we have plenty of options to choose from,  however, as pointed out by Gardaphè and Xu, this may have not been the case. Foods of immigrants, such as the example with Italian food, was considered to be “filthy and unhealthful” (6). Can you imagine not ever having Italian food?

Continue reading “Diversity and Culture Through Food”

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The Evolution of Ethnic Foods in America

Abhayvir Singh

Reflection 1 of 5

“Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literature”

Authors: Fred L. Gardaphé and Wenying Xu

Gardaphé and Xu introduce a not unlikely, but commonly unnoticed marker of the immigrant experience: food. Past literary works that mention immigrant cuisines are analyzed in order to form a connection between food and assimilation. Literary works going as far back as 1897 and going up to the 1940s reveal that immigrant food was considered not only un-American but “filthy” and “not elegant” (6). The roots of these unsavory comments lie in the concept of nativism, which then leads to “demands for assimilation and inculcation of ethnic inferiority” (6).

Continue reading “The Evolution of Ethnic Foods in America”

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Culture Through Food

Stefan Nikolic

Reflection 1

Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures by: Fred L. Gardaphé and Wenying Xu

The article “Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures” by authors Fred L. Gardaphé and Wenying Xu speaks of the relationship between food, and people’s expression of their culture. This is evident when they state, “In the United States, relationships between food and ethnicity bear historical, social, cultural, economic, political, and psychological significance” (5). The authors provide a variety of sub-claims and support them with evidence from other scholastic articles. The authors offer various credible sources from different writers and time periods to help back up their main claim.

Continue reading “Culture Through Food”

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Story of American Food Culture

Sam Gosda

Response 1 of 5: Introduction: Food in Multi-ethnic Literatures

Food is arguably the biggest center of culture, society, and community. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in America have always been times to gather and connect with those around you.  Author of “Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures”,  Wenying Zu, argues that meals are also a way to connect to one’s ethnic past. She supports this thought with many references to other authors and their works. Together they form a picture of the American immigrant experience through food from being forced to assimilate to even the meals of America to pushing back to keep the foods of their homeland. While Zu is wordy at times, the amount of evidence she accumulates in indisputable.  Continue reading “Story of American Food Culture”

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Diversity through Food

Allison Wu

Reflection 1 of 5

97 Orchard Street: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement

Diversity through Food

Jane Zeigelman’s book, 97 Orchard Street: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement, tells the story of how different families from different cultures use food from their origins to shape their lives in NYC. Their use of native food in their new environment ultimately forms the diversity that NYC has today. Continue reading “Diversity through Food”

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Food as Culture: Assimilation or Pride?

(Response 1 of 5) Introduction: Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures

by Anna

In the introduction of Food in Multi-Ethnic Literatures, authors Fred L. Gardaphe and Wenying Xu establish the concept of “…food as a cultural sign that participates in the representations of race, ethnicity, gender, class, nationality, and exile.” (10) They note that throughout the history of the United States, food has been used as a tool to encourage and enforce assimilation, and that foods from immigrant cultures signified “ethnic inferiority.” (9) However, they also cite writers who view food as a way of expressing pride in their culture and identity.

Continue reading “Food as Culture: Assimilation or Pride?”