food and culture - chinese historical society of america文档.pdfVIP

Food and Culture Chinese Restaurants in Hawai‘i Franklin Ng Franklin Ng, “Food and Culture: Chinese Restaurants in Hawai‘i,” first shipload of Chinese laborers aboard the Thetis were pro- Chinese America: History Perspectives – The Journal of vided certain foods. Rice, salted fish, sweet potatoes, yams, the Chinese Historical Society of America (San Francisco: Chi- sugar, cooking oil, lime juice, vinegar, water, coffee, and tea 7 nese Historical Society of America with UCLA Asian American were among the provisions to be supplied on the ship. In Studies Center, 2010), pages 113–122. the years that followed, a continuous stream of migrants arrived from Guangdong Province to sustain the growing ood, they say, is the essence of life. Or, as Joseph R. Hawaiian economy in rice and sugar production. While liv- Conlin puts it, “food is third only to air and water as ing on the plantations, the Chinese obtained most of their Fa basis of life and, much more than the others, is an food from the plantation stores or grocery stores set up to 1 important element of culture and social relationships.” cater to their needs. Many people delude themselves that they “eat to live,” com- On the plantations the Chinese had a varied diet. They ments Deh-Ta Hsiung, but he believes that the Chinese are were fortunate that the Hawaiian Islands had pigs, chickens, 2 honest enough to ad