"OH, HOW THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED... OR NOT"
The categories of foods written about have remained mostly the same since the 1950s, but the number, complexity, specificity, and “ethnic” quality of the dishes have definitely increased. Unlike The Art of Chinese Cooking, Chinese Cooking for Dummies exhibits the focus of vegetables that authentic Chinese foods have by devoting a chapter to “cooking vegetables the Chinese way.”[18] He describes a typical Chinese meal as one that contains “a variety of crisp, fresh vegetables… meats, if included in the cast at all, play more of a supporting role in this culinary production.”[19] The Benedictine sisters ignore the historical (Buddhist and Taoist roots) and economic (China has never been one of the wealthiest of countries) role of vegetables in shaping people’s identities and represent such an essential component of Chinese society with only five recipes. Yan provides over twenty vegetable recipes and even discusses the health benefits of specific vegetables that are not well known or sound unusual; for example, snow fungus has complexion-clearing properties and jujubes soothe nerves. Yan also includes “tame” recipes or popular Chinese-American recipes, which demonstrate that the need to appeal to Westerners still exist and full acceptance of Chinese culture and people by mainstream American society has yet to be achieved. A famous “tame” recipe is chop suey, which is the poster child for Chinese food and is included in every modern Chinese restaurant and menu. Unbeknown to most Americans, chop suey completely lacks authenticity as immigrants created it in the United States solely to entice Americans who wanted an “ethnic” experience.[20] Most Chinese people have never heard of it, but due to its popularity among Americans, it is included to provide familiarity and to persuade Americans to try other Chinese dishes that are just as good. Yan also includes recipes for the food most associated with Asians: rice. He dedicated twenty pages to the topic of rice and noodles[21] in contrast to the Benedictine sisters’ one recipe for fried rice and one recipe for egg noodles under the category “miscellaneous”.[22] The Benedictine sisters’ recipes affirm the stereotype that rice is a universal food product and can be cooked in any way to produce a Chinese rice dish. Yan debunks this stereotype by providing recipes that can produce various tastes and can be made differently, proving rice and noodles is not as unvaried as many think. He also describes the different types of rice that exist; not all rice have the same texture or appearance, which contributes to the uniqueness of each dish. What makes Yan’s cookbook generally better than the Benedictine sisters’ is that he recognizes Chinese-American food is different from Chinese food and still speaks positively about both while the sisters do not differentiate between the two foods. Yan says: “Most Westerns had their first bite of Asian food in an American-Chinese restaurant. And while these restaurants may not always be the best representations of authentic Chinese cuisine, they’re still key ambassadors of Chinese food for most Westerners.”[23] Pointing out that fusion cuisine is essential in bridging the gap between two cultures informs the public that a gap still exists and that food, an essential component of all societies, has the ability to teach others so much about lifestyle, culture, and history, which would promote larger tolerance and appreciation for all cultures, not just the one one is a part of.
While many believe only Hispanic Americans and African Americans in the United States face racism nowadays, many other racial groups, particularly Asian Americans, still face discrimination and it is evident in the literature written to combat it. In comparing the social conditions of the 1950s, a time of harsh discrimination, to those of now, the United States is not as democratic as it preaches to be. Asian Americans still face negative stereotyping that impedes their access to economic and social opportunities. Cooking literature of the 1950s and 2000s made very similar intents to educate the public about the prejudice Chinese Americans face and to debunk the negative perception many Americans hold onto. But what is interesting is that even though stereotypes about Chinese Americans still remain, the actual stereotypes have changed, which shows perception is dependent on the social atmosphere, and since society is always changing, there is hope that negative perceptions can be eradicated; we just have to go about it another way. Authors and activists have expanded their method to teaching history and culture as well; providing a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese people allows for more informed opinions to be made. However, these leaders can only do so much in changing the perspectives of Chinese Americans and Asian Americans; change is dependent on the audience and they must be willing to open their minds to learn the information available to them. |