The Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) examines a central image of Chinese American life – the Chinese restaurant, in Have You Eaten Yet?: The Chinese Restaurant in America, an exhibit that caps the Museum’s food and restaurant-themed season. Often the first introduction to Chinese culture for many Americans, the Chinese restaurant has functioned since the nineteenth century as a site of cultural exchange. Have You Eaten Yet? traces the Chinese restaurant’s origin and growth in America, and explores how these cultural negotiations have been made over time. It takes a revealing look at American and Chinese perceptions and expectations through historical menu collections, travel diary entries, and Chinese food myths.
“Have you eaten yet,” is a standard Chinese greeting sharing the same connotation as “how are you?” Its incorporation into the daily vernacular attests to the significance of food in the Chinese culture, where meals are a fusion of art and entertainment and a venue for dialogue and reconnecting with family, friends and guests. . . .
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