Chinese-American
A restaurant menu can hold generations of history. Chinese-American food tells stories of migration, making a living and cooking for new neighbors. The familiar takeout carton is one doorway into that story; family kitchens and regional traditions open many more.
Where it began
China has many regional cuisines, not one universal menu. Guangdong in southern China is especially important to the early Chinese-American story: many nineteenth-century immigrants brought Cantonese food traditions with them.
What they ate
Rice, vegetables, fish and other ingredients took different forms across southern Chinese kitchens. Steaming, stir-frying and shared dishes were part of a much larger repertoire. A restaurant menu abroad could only show a small part of what families cooked at home.
Coming to America
Chinese migrants worked in mining, railroads, agriculture and other trades. Restaurants fed communities and offered a livelihood amid discrimination and exclusion laws. Cooks had to work with available ingredients while serving both Chinese customers and curious newcomers.
How the food changed
Chop suey became a restaurant sensation; its precise origins remain debated. Menus changed with customers and ingredients. Later immigration and restaurateurs such as Cecilia Chiang helped introduce more Americans to cooking beyond the familiar Cantonese-American menu.
What we grew up eating
For some families, the memory is fried rice, egg rolls or a pu-pu platter at a neighborhood restaurant. For others, it is a home-cooked meal quite different from the takeout menu. Both belong in the story. What did your family always order?
What people eat today
Chinese-American food includes longstanding neighborhood favorites alongside many regional Chinese traditions. Home cooks, chefs and community advocates keep recipes alive while making room for new ideas. There is no single menu that represents everyone.
Explore more
Keep exploring with museums, historians and cultural collections. Links open in your browser in a new tab or window.
- Smithsonian: Sweet & Sour ↗
An introduction to the museum's exhibition on Chinese food in the United States, from early immigration through the post-1965 era.
- Smithsonian: The Mandarin menu ↗
A historic menu and the story of Cecilia Chiang's restaurant.
- Smithsonian: Cooking Up History ↗
Cooking demonstrations and conversations, including Chinese-American cooks and culinary preservation.