Resources

Our project has been largely inspired by Cheuk Kwan’s 15-part documentary series, Chinese Restaurants. Kwan spent four years (and his own money) traveling around the world to far-flung locations, interviewing Chinese restaurants owners in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, India, Israel, Madagascar, Mauritius, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey. What emerges is a vibrant picture of overseas Chinese communities through the institution of the Chinese restaurant. Watch the series here.

Another excellent documentary about one specific group of Chinese migrants to the United States can be found in Golden Venture. The film seems particularly relevant in our current political climate, given the still on-going debates on US immigration policy.

A fun and fascinating resource to help you take apart the idea of authenticity in food is chef David Chang’s series on Netflix, Ugly Delicious. Each episode centers on a type of food or cooking, such as pizza, tacos, fried rice, fried chicken, or BBQ, but explores a rich tangle of issues, including identity, ownership, race and place.

If you are interested in learning more about Chinese food itself, you may enjoy the CCTV blockbuster series, A Bite of China. (Also available on YouTube.) Three seasons have aired in the PRC since 2012, with the first season attracting more than 100 million viewers.

Here are a few more popular books on Chinese food in the United States:

Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food (2008) by Jennifer 8. Lee

Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States (2009) by Andrew Coe