Changing Diets: From East to West Examining Chinese Immigrant Acculturation through Food Choices

Chinese immigration to America is hardly a new phenomenon; it can be dated back to the 18 century and possibly even earlier. However, the first major wave of immigration began in the mid 1800’s during the California Gold Rush and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Less than a few decades later, though, laws like the Naturalization Act of 1870 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 were enacted and restricted Chinese immigration to the US. It was not until the Immigration Act of 1965 that these policies were eliminated and Chinese immigration could resume. Today, Chinese immigration is steadily growing—fueled by the business opportunities, education, free market, and democratic government of the United States. However, in recent years, changes in the Chinese population have been newly observed—many of these changes being in lifestyles and eating habits. As immigrants and children of immigrants have begun to acculturate— adopting behaviors of the surrounding American culture—there has been increasing consumption of unhealthy convenience foods and decreasing taste values for healthier, traditional Chinese foods. In other words, acculturating Chinese are no longer receiving the same satisfaction from traditional foods; they like the taste of junk food and fast food better. Unfortunately, these changing patterns have potentially large consequences on immigrant health particularly regarding obesity and diabetes.