Assignment Part I: Opie and Chitlin Circuit and Epilogue
Q1. What is the chitlin circuit described by the author and why was it important to African Americans?
Q2. How does the author describe soul food as changing in the epilogue? (Consider the nutrition transition here). What is the connection to health and debates surrounding the tension between soul food, identity and health?
Assignment Part II: Diner and "The Bread is Soft"
Q1. Italian folks who migrated were primarily those who were impoverished. In the context of this reading, what does "the bread is soft" mean to Italian Americans and how does it express the contrast of life in the US versus what they knew in Italy?
Q2. Food culture was the pillar of Italian American identity according to the author. Which four foods became symbolic of Italian American identity? What was the difference in how these foods were experienced in Italy versus the US?
Assignment Part III: Synthesis:
Q1. What are similarities and differences between African American and Italian American experience of US society?
Q2. How did their experience of US society impact their foodways?
Q3. How did African Americans and Italian Americans practice agency in their foodways in US society, despite pressure from dominant mainstream society?