Jewish-American patronage of Chinese restaurants
jewishamerican patronage chinese restaurant became prominent th century especially among jewish new yorkers received attention paradoxical form assimilation embracing unfamiliar cuisine eased consumption nonkosher food factor include relative absence dairy product compared european cuisine concern german italian antisemitic regime proximity jewish chinese immigrant new york city american jewish habit eating chinese restaurant christmas common stereotype portrayed film television factual basis tradition may arisen lack open restaurant christmas day according jennifer lee producer search general tso turn th century new york city jewish chinese immigrant bound proximity otherness lived close proximity lower east side manhattan two largest nonchristian immigrant group nearly million american eastern european jewish ancestry living new york city constituted onefourth city’s population first mention american jew eating chinese food american hebrew article magazine criticized jewish community eating nonkosher restaurant particularly singling chinese food least chinese tea garden restaurant open heavily populated jewish neighborhood lower east side located close proximity ratners famous jewish dairy restaurant jew felt comfortable restaurant italian german eatery prevalent time period lower manhattan immigrant eatery usual operated serve community jew would open deli jew italian ran restaurant primarily italian german many place would serve german however chinese restaurant owner accepted jew immigrant ethnic group customer without precondition addition unlike many italian establishment lower manhattan chinese restaurant usually lacked christian iconography lack antisemitism chineseamerican restaurateur gave jew sense security chinese didnt look jew less american like immigrant group jewish immigrant seeking assimilate american life chinese restaurant gave illusion adherence jewish dietary law according law jew forbidden mixing milk meat traditionally excluded chinese dish however dish still treyf due ample inclusion pork shellfish according rabbi joshua eli plaut process cutting chopping mincing called ko peng cut cook ancient chinese text made food like pork shrimp lobster appear disguised thus appear safe treyf jew seeking assimilate american culture example pork hidden wrapped wonton looked similar jewish kreplach dumpling ultimately gave way many usborn jew rejecting kashrut altogether impractical anachronistic breaking rule kashrut eating chinese food allowed younger generation assert independence established cosmopolitan spirit jew also drawn restaurant oriental exoticism people immigrant jew child met food encountered america chinese foreign unjewish large majority jew saw eating chinese restaurant antidote jewish parochialism exclusive overweening emphasis culture jew many people tuchman levine spoke felt eating place unjewish showed could somewhat sophisticated urbane new yorkers restaurant unusual wallpaper eccentric decoration chopstick exotic food name generation jew grew new york initial eastern european jew immigrated wanted identity based cosmopolitan ideal emancipation jew europe christmas dangerous holiday jew night drunken violence sometimes pogrom jewish population jew stayed home safety america jew felt alienated want stay home tradition jew eating chinese food christmas date early new york time reported restaurant owner named eng shee chuck brought chow mein christmas day jewish children’s home newark year jewish american family friend gather christmas eve christmas day chinese restaurant across united state socialize banter reinforce social familiar bond engage favorite activity jew christmas holiday chinese restaurant become place jewish identity made remade announced according historian eating chinese food became meaningful symbol american judaism part ritualized celebration immigration education family community continuity michael tong shun lee palace talked issue interview new york timeswelcome conundrum christmas new york style restaurant close holiday case stay open serve prix fixe meal laden froufrou thousand diner jewish faced dilemma there nothing celebrate home place eat least want regular dinner leaf chinese restaurant phenomenon mentioned television skit jewish comedian alan king buddy hackett lampooned caesar hour sid caesar philip roth joke portnoys complaint chinese restauranteurs thought jew yiddishinfused english king english confirmation hearing elena kagans nomination u supreme court senator lindsey graham asked kagan previous christmas kagan replied know like jew probably chinese restaurant drew laughter medium coverage american chinese cuisine history jew china history jew taiwan kaifeng jew jew christmas nittel nacht jewish observance christmas eve plaut joshua eli kosher christmas ti season jewish new brunswick nj rutgers university press isbn