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The Evolution and Recognition of Self-identity in Food and Foodways of the Overseas Chinese

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Abstract

The overseas Chinese are the carriers of Chinese culture outside China. The establishment of self-identity through overseas Chinese food and foodways is a result of the overseas Chinese historical experience, living situation, cross-cultural experience and self-identity. There is a common ground for Chinese food culture—it is a cultural matrix that covers all the food varieties of Chinese communities living all over the globe. It is not defined by specific food or ingredients, but a set of variables complying with the Chinese philosophy of food. This chapter takes the evolution of Nyonya food and American-Chinese food as examples to analyse the stages of self-identity of overseas Chinese food culture according to the concepts of assimilation, isolation and integration of cultural inclusion theory.

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Cao, Y. (2020). The Evolution and Recognition of Self-identity in Food and Foodways of the Overseas Chinese. In: Zhouxiang, L. (eds) Chinese National Identity in the Age of Globalisation. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4538-2_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4538-2_14

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-4537-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-4538-2

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