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

Abstract

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.