United States of Chop Suey: Heather Lee in conversation with Anne Mendelson

According to the organizers:

Join us for a dynamic talk featuring Heather Lee, author of the forthcoming book Chop Suey Corridor and Anne Mendelson, author of Chow Chop Suey (Columbia University Press, 2016), in conversation about the many roles of Chinese food and restaurants in an age of anti-Chinese hostility.

The story of Chinese food and restaurants in America is one of extraordinary hardship and resilience. Historians Heather Lee and Anne Mendelson take us on a journey through this story, examining how the Exclusion Act of 1882 spurred the rise of Chinese American restaurants and cuisine. They’ll unveil how dishes like chop suey and lo mein evidence the creative strategies that Chinese Americans used to negotiate the terms of their lives in America, and how these restaurateurs changed the face of the country’s cultural and culinary landscape.

Doors open at 6 pm. Program begins promptly at 6:30.