Chinese Immigrant Food Habits: A study of the nature and direction of change

Abstract

THIS STUDY researches the food habits of a randomly selected group of 102 Chinese immi grant mothers who live in two locations in New York City, one predominantly Chinese, namely China town, and the other Queens, a mixed ethnic commun ity. By use of detailed questionnaire and interview, it determines the relationships between traditional food habits before immigration, neighbourhood differences and three time frames since immigration to the United States: under two, two to five and over five years. Significant change has occurred in food habits when comparing those habits practiced before immigration to those practiced in the United States. Of all the items studied, food items showed the greatest changes, parti cularly with respect to meat and dairy products. Some, but not all other food habits changed. The food habits of the respondents in Chinatown, although not com pletely traditional, changed less than the food habits of those living in Queens. Comparing groups by years since immigration, those respondents in the United States fewer than two years ago showed an appreciable change while those in the United States more than five years showed a reversal in some food habits to tradi tional food habits.