You will be writing on Nobu Matsuhisa as the Asian American chef/business owner/restauranteur. 8-10 Pages
Instructions:
The final research paper will analyze the life and career of an Asian American chef/restaurateur/restaurant worker or food business entrepreneur/worker, (NOBU MATSUHISA), placing them within the context of Asian American history. The goal is to think about how individuals (and families) are connected with larger histories, striving to recognize the roles of both personal agency and socioeconomic forces. How might this chef’s/worker’s culinary work and trajectory reflect both exigency and creativity? Has gender affected their opportunities? Where does this individual fit within Asian American history (e.g., Chinese restaurant history in the U.S.; post-1965 Asian immigration; formation of the Vietnamese American refugee community in Orange County; etc.)? What can we learn about Asian American history from this person’s/family’s experiences? What is the significance of their story?
The paper must be written in Times New Roman 12-point font and double-spaced, with endnotes or footnotes, and a bibliography of the primary and secondary sources you have used. 8-10 Pages
Writing the introduction: Your introduction should include a statement about what your paper will cover. A strong statement conveys your key idea(s) or insight about your subject. You should also mention the primary sources you will draw on, whether an interview you conducted (by telephone, zoom, or email, etc.), your analysis of a menu, restaurant/business website, blog posts, video programs, cookbooks, etc.
Beginnings: Some suggestions and sample questions:
· Trace the individual’s family history, placing them in the context of Asian American or Pacific Islander history, as well as researching the kind of food they make—does it reflect regional culture in Asia and/or the United States and/or elsewhere? If they create fusion cuisine, what cultural influences does their food reflect?
· How did your subject enter the food industry? What formal or informal training did they receive? What kinds of work have they done?
· What is their philosophy/approach to food? How might it connect with their history? What dishes are they known for? How do they present themselves in videos?
· What creative approaches has this person taken to develop and promote their product/business? (E.g., Martin Yan and Ming Tsai have had TV shows; Roy Choi has a blog; many of them have written cookbooks and memoirs.)
· How has this entrepreneur’s food (and other products) been received by the ethnic community? How has it been received by the mainstream? Reviews in the ethnic and mainstream press and by bloggers can offer clues.
· Food entrepreneurs and their food practices do not exist in a vacuum—does the evolving work of this individual reflect a response to cultural trends or social issues (e.g., representations of minorities, health/nutrition concerns, sustainability, food deserts, etc.)?
· How has the current Covid-19 crisis and the massive social changes it has catalyzed affected your subject’s life and work? How do they appear to be responding?
Primary sources: Primary sources you can draw upon: menus, recipes/cookbooks, posted video or print interviews with restaurateurs and cookbook writers, television programs, restaurant reviews, restaurateurs’ blogs, oral history interviews, restaurant/food business websites, etc.
Secondary sources: It is fine to draw on relevant course readings to help contextualize your paper or support your analysis, but I expect that you will do further research. I also expect that your sources will include appropriate scholarly literature. Many academic journals and books are accessible on-line, via JSTOR, Project Muse, etc.
As we are all increasingly dependent on Internet sources, please evaluate them carefully, particularly non-academic materials!
Write about how you went to his restaurants as well and enjoyed his food. Thank you
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