Alanazi 1

Jwharah Alanazi

FA23HP1 African American Chefs & South

October 21, 2023

African American Chefs and Southern Foodways

Question 2

Based on the “Building Houses Out of Chicken Legs” reading, the most important points that the

writer examined revolve around the fact that chicken shaped the identity of black women in the

rural Virginian town. The waiter carriers who sold shoebox lunches to the railroad travelers used

chicken as an avenue for self-realization. The women were able to realize their own personhood

through making a living from selling the lunches. For instance, the writer’s own mother was able

to purchase their home through selling these lunches and saving up money (Williams-Forson

166). Not only were they able to make a living from selling the chicken, they were also able to

use chicken to define their personality. For example, the women were restricted from traveling

freely during the period immediately post-slavery. Thus, the women were able to send the

shoebox lunches.

I agree with the points made by the writer. The writer shows how the sale of chicken in

shoebox lunches was an important aspect in the lives of black women from their rural Virginian

town. In an era where the options were severely limited for black women in the US, the use of

chicken to achieve self-realization helped the women to carve a niche for themselves in their

societies (Williams-Forson 175). For example, the women were able to assert themselves

through the sale of chicken since it allowed them to resist the oppressive overtones associated

with being restricted from travel. Alternatively, the women were able to earn money despite the

obstacles that existed for people in their demographic group.

The period in question was one where black people, especially women, faced several

difficulties as a result of the oppression that the white majority had placed on them even after

freedom had been secured. Thus, chicken played a prominent role in the lives of these black

women (Wallach).

Question 4

In William Frank Mitchell’s chapter 3 Cooking in “African American Food Culture”, the

major points he is making revolve around the fact that African American cuisine and the

associated habits have not changed much despite the constant changes that are seen elsewhere.

The shifting nature of America’s consumption patterns has popularized the use of pre-packaged

foods and those that are not labor-intensive. Additionally, this shifting nature has contributed

towards convenience being prioritized when it comes to food preparation – it is for this reason

that more Americans are increasingly buying food from neighborhood stores.

Conversely, African Americans have remained fiercely loyal to the traditional

consumption patterns that they have always practiced. The situation for African Americans has

been facilitated by continued black ownership of neighborhood restaurants and quick service

restaurant franchise (Mitchell 38). Furthermore, very few African Americans attend prestigious

culinary schools thus preventing them from changing their ways.

It relates to the food of the South. This is because the writer mentions several ways

through which Southern African American food has been integrated into mainstream American

food culture. For example, he states how small food distributors that traditionally focused on

African American foods such as Southern style vegetables are being paired with other foods

(Mitchell 38). Furthermore, African Americans in the South have had significant influence over

the culinary habits that American born blacks display besides just the types of food. The writer
 Alanazi 1

mentions “soulfood” to show how Southern style food culture has impacted upon American born

blacks (Belasco 8). Therefore, it is evident that the assertions made by the writer in this reading

have a great correlation with the food of the South.

Question 6

Based on the reading “Who Owns Southern Food”, the pro for John T. Edge is that the

article gives credit to historically marginalized groups that influenced Southern cuisine. The

writer opines that credit should be given to the Gullah and Geechee cultures whose culinary

activities helped to shape the food culture of the South (Edge & Tunde). These cultures have

existed on the Southern peninsula for almost three centuries where they have engaged in farming

and cooking in their own traditional ways. However, these cultures have seen their influence on

Southern cuisine downplayed by the white majority that is heavily involved in restaurants and

food distribution in the region. Instead, their influence on Southern cuisine has been appropriated

by this white majority while looking to appropriate this important cultural element ((Edge &

Tunde)). It is for this reason that Edge reports that Hillary Dixler’s essay was met with ire by this

white majority.

My position is that it is only rightful for the true influencers of Southern cuisine to

receive the credit they deserve. The Gullah and Geechee people, having been forcibly migrated

to the US during slavery, continue to be marginalized through cultural appropriation. It is

unquestionable that these groups heavily influenced Southern cuisine through their traditional

food culture. That the white majority in places such as Charleston refuse to acknowledge the role

they played in shaping Southern cuisine is therefore wrong (Lear 20).

There is need for these groups to receive the credit they deserve especially against the

backdrop of the fact that they have been unfairly treated from the moment they set food on
 Alanazi 1

American shores up to date. Therefore, I strongly believe that essays such as the one written by

Hillary Dixler should be allowed to stand because they provide some semblance of evidence for

the influence that historically marginalized groups have had.

Question 7

Privilege impacts the way people write about food, preferably the food of immigrants

based on the “Who Gets to – or Should – Tell the Stories of Immigrants and Their Foodways”

reading. This is because privileged individuals typically have all the required resources to make

their voices heard whereas immigrants are encumbered by various obstacles in their path to

speak out (Hills). The privileged white majority is not only able to tell the stories which

immigrants should rightfully tell, but even appropriate elements of their culture as seen in the

case of Korean proliferation in Montgomery, Alabama that was stated by one of the speakers

(Hills). Furthermore, immigrants are underrepresented in the circles where they would have been

allowed to speak out and share their own narratives. Therefore, authenticity has to be

compromised when the stories of immigrants and their foodways are told because they simply

cannot project their own voices within American space (Mitchell 44).

I agree that privilege impacts the way that immigrants’ stories and their foodways are

shared. The vast majority of people with access to the platforms that enable such sharing are

typically individuals who have no barriers to entry – this is obviously American nationals who

are not immigrants. Such people are therefore privileged because they can speak on behalf of

immigrants without even having first-hand knowledge of the subject matter they are writing

about.

It is for this reason that the writer asserts the importance of using a translator if one is to

speak about a language for which they are not native speakers (Hills). Nevertheless, the
 Alanazi 1

privileged non-immigrant writers continue to make statements on behalf of immigrants and their

foodways without using the translators spoken about in the article. For these reasons, I agree

with the statement that privilege has an impact on the way people write about the food of

immigrants.
 Alanazi 1

Works cited

Belasco, Warren James. Food: The Key Concepts. Bloomsbury Academic, 2018.

Hills, Samantha Weiss. “Who Gets to – or Should – Tell the Stories of Immigrants and Their

Foodways?” Food52, 2017. Accessed 21/10/2023

Edge, John T., & Tunde Wey. “Who Owns Southern Food?” Oxford American, 3 June 2016,

[Link]/magazine/issue-93-summer-2016/who-owns-southern-food.

Lear, Jane. “What is Southern?” Edna Lewis, 2018, pp. 17–26,

[Link]

Mitchell, William Frank. African American Food Culture, 2009,

[Link]

Wallach, Jennifer Jensen. How America Eats: A Social History of U.S. Food and Culture.

Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.

Williams-Forson, Psyche A. Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and

Power. University of North Carolina Press, 2006.