Ramanathan's Essay 'Why Everyone Should Stop Calling Immigrant Food' Ethnic

Regardless the person, everyone still orders from restaurants, or they microwave a frozen dinner meal once in awhile. In contemporary society, it 's much more efficient to order take out rather than to cook and prepare your own food due to the lack of time. Sadly people even forget the taste of fresh, home cooked meals. Nowadays people don’t know what it’s like to sit down and enjoy a nice hearty home cooked meal, instead they’re always on the run grabbing a quick bite here and there. Unfortunately with such busy lives people don’t have the opportunity to watch cooking shows, go to cooking class, or even cook for their children. People just want to come home and relax they don’t want to have to worry about cooking and all the preparation that comes with it, they would much rather order take out and avoid all the hassle of cooking. In Berry Wendell’s Essay “The Pleasures of Eating”, we are given insight on how very little common people know about where their food comes from and what it goes through. “When a Crop Becomes King” by Michael Pollan reveals how corn, a single crop could be involved in such a wide array of industry and be used in almost everything. David Barboza’s article “If You Pitch It, They Will Eat”, focuses on how in modern society advertising is everywhere and it is taking a big role in everyday life. Through the work of Berry, Pollan, and Barboza we are shown that ignorance is a defining human trait.

“Taco USA: How Mexican Food Became More American Than Apple Pie” was written in 2012 by Gustavo Arellano, a prolific food author for the Orange County newspaper OC Weekly. This article originally appeared as an online publication in Reason Magazine. Arellano has written books about Mexican food and its role in the American experience. His writings explain how this genre of cuisine has evolved and transformed as it has spread geographically throughout the United States. Growing up in Orange County California with two Hispanic parents, Arellano experienced firsthand the transformation of traditional Mexican dishes into the tex-mex that most American families are familiar with today. The online news site, Reason Magazine, originally published this article to accommodate to an audience of readers who want to be informed but also entertained by the news. These readers care about what is happening in society but are not considered scholars on the topics presented. Although the readers of Reason Magazine might not have any formal knowledge about food and its role in culture, all of them have experienced the importance of a meal in their everyday lives. The author uses the experience and background of his audience to show them the importance and prevalence of Mexican food in the American culture. In “Taco USA” Arellano uses personal stories, ethnic language, and historical information to show his

In an article written by Amy S. Choi entitled, “What Americans can Learn From Other Food Cultures,” Choi discusses food in ways that pertain to ones culture. Today, our younger generation has become less thankful for simple, traditional foods and more wanting of foods prepared in less traditional ways, almost as if, “the more outlandish the better.” Choi mentioned in her article that, “those slightly younger have been the beneficiaries of the restaurant culture exploding in Shanghai” (Choi, Amy. “What Americans Can Learn From Other Food Cultures.” Ideastedcom. 18 Dec. 2014. Web. 17 June 2015) being from America I agree with her statement. Food in many cultures has become a status symbol; I believe that dining in expensive restaurants that serve

Food is a highly unique commodity, for though it is essential to every single person on earth, there is no other commodity which is acquired and consumed in such diverse ways. It is a multifaceted social instrument, serving to connect people across cultural boundaries while simultaneously drawing lines through society, dividing people across race and class. Though we have discussed the connections between certain alternative food movements and the creation of a ‘white’ identity, I contend that the social mechanisms of food extend beyond the production of ‘whiteness’, and are intricately bound up in the creation and perpetuation of other racial and class identities in Western society. As the ways in which we consume and engage with food

Part of this health food craze was sprung on by modernization. This modernization impacts Yogen Fruz’s target market interest’s, such as Café culture, fashion trends, and eating habits. With modernization, young females have an increasingly lucrative income and are willing to

Food can partially shape a person's cultural identity. Geeta Kothari explores the cultural nuances between American and Indian food in the essay, “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” She expresses this through the symbolism of food, growing up and living between two different cultures. Kothari begins her story as a nine-year-old child curiously wanting to eat the same foods as American children: tuna salad sandwiches and hot dogs. She does not have the guidance from her mother regarding American food and culture. Kothari’s mom curbs the curiosity by reluctantly letting her daughter indulge in a can of tuna fish. Kothari describes the open can of tuna fish as “pink and shiny, like an internal organ” and she wondered if it was botulism (947). The way

In “Why everyone should stop calling immigrant food ‘ethnic’” the writer, Lavanya Ramanathan writes that referring to these foods as “ethnic” makes them appear to be more foreign than they are. Ramanathan states that describing the cuisine from foreign countries as “ethnic” seems to only apply to those “countries whose people have the brownest skin.” She goes on to say that she has observed that true “ethnic” cuisine is often looked down upon and considered low while “fusion cuisine”, combinations of American and an “ethnic” country’s food is seen as haute cuisine. Ramanathan tells that a NYU professor has discovered than people won’t pay more than $30 for ethnic cuisine. She also says that using “ethnic” signifies an air of inferiority when used and that while Asian and African countries get referred to as ethnic, European cuisine gets a pass from the Americans.

Indeed, Pollan’s views appear to be convincing since the different cultures in America offering a large variety of traditional food dishes causes a problem in food choices. As a consequence, Pollan mentioned, the mindset of American’s about, “what should we eat for dinner?” is caused by the food options in America being very diverse and not limited.

The movie, “In Defense of Food” is written and created by Michael Pollan. In this movie Pollin addresses the question of the correct way to eat. Additionally, he explains how the food industry gains from the confusion over what is nutritionally correct, an idea created by scientists called nutritionism. Pollan discusses how control over what families ate shifted from cultural factors, such as mothers and traditions, to marketing and the food industry. He concludes that

The basic approach to American lifestyle and culture have changed drastically since the second world war. Because of the lack of men due to heavy drafting into the war, women were encouraged to join the workforce. Canning and freezing food became a cultural norm in order to cheaply stock up on food during the war. From the encouragement of both genders in the workforce and the prevalence of processed foods, society has now become accustomed to the ease of less-than-three-minute meals, gradually characterizing cooking as an archaic activity. Michael Pollan, a journalist who frequently contributes to the New York Times Magazine, has attempted to address the trend of processed food over home cooking, particularly in his article “The End of Cooking?”. He expresses the need for the revival of home cooked meals through his argument on how the fundamental views and practices behind cooking has changed since the end of French Chef with Julia Child to the present. Freedman, a journalist who has criticized Pollan in his article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” condemns Pollan’s views as glorifying cooking, and presents processed food as the solution to creating a healthier society. He contends that creating healthier processed foods can be the key to ending obesity rather than the praised wholesome foods. Though both make compelling arguments on which type of foods will help end obesity and improve overall health [what compelling argument], neither are willing to make a compromise or

In Immigration: What Is to Be Done? By David Cole, David advocates the misleading anti-sentiment of immigrants today, such as immigrants taking jobs from U.S citizens, immigrants refusing to assimilate, Immigrants using and taking society’s resources, and the belief that Noncitizens are not entitled to constitutional rights. David contends these beliefs suggesting that the claims are biassed and flat out wrong, in addition he shows admiration for immigrants.

Higashi and her husband both share a passion for eating at immigrant restaurants. She explains the many difference between the average fast food restaurant and immigrant-run restaurants. She dived into the atmosphere and how all the immigrant workers coincided with one another in order to have a great restaurant. Everyone ate the same delicious food and kids did not have those kids menus that one would find at American restaurants. She set the atmosphere to appear friendly and as if you were eating dinner at one's house. These type of restaurants seem way better than any fast food restaurant. When food is made by real people who care about what they are making, it shows. Nothing shows this more than when the cook herself came out of the kitchen

"Americans like chicken, sweetness, and deep-frying" she writes, "these three desires converged in General Tso's chicken." However, despite the basic similarity

This factor analyzes the demographic and cultural aspects of LG’s market. LG offers a fresh, modern dining experience featuring local, organic, and house-made dishes. They cater to a mixture of visiting and local guest including adult men and women, between the ages of 21-64, who live diverse and active lifestyles. LG recognizes their guests want variety and dietary accommodations within the restaurant’s menu, and meets this need by identifying gluten free and vegetarian options. Manager, Chrisse Burwell, shared that the restaurant's most influential social factor refers to catering to such a diverse clientele, which is why the restaurant offers an extensive menu. These social factors can potentially hinder a company’s success, however LG has found a balance to meet their guests’ needs. (C. Burwell, personal communication, February 29,

Can someone fit in a new environment without any restrictions or barriers? In her novel The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri explores this question by depicting the life of a family migrated from India. Gogol and Sonia, who were born in America after their parent came to this new country, act like Americans and even have difficulty to learn Bengali. However, as time passes by, they gradually generate a sense of connection to India and begin to speak Bengali or act like Indian ways. Like Lahiri, Tanveer Ali also illustrates an “invader” of American food market which is falafel came from Mexico in his essay “The Subway Falafel Sandwich and the Americanization of Ethical Food”. In order to make more profit, marketer tends to Americanized the falafel. Surprisingly, people are more likely to eat falafel with more authentic version because of the food nostalgia generated by falafel. People whose root is in a different region may develop the language for where they grow up as young and fit in the local society which they were exposed at first, but the root of their identity will live in their heart and grow up one day. Similarly, when a product enters the market in a new country with new culture background, even if it will make changes to cater to the local preference, the kernel principle will remain the same and eventually evoke the resonance with people who have the same roots with that product. Therefore, we can found that the root of identity is essential to both