FESTIVALS, FESTIVAL FOODS, AND DIETARY ACCULTURATION: A JOURNEY OF HYBRIDIZATION AND IDENTITY FORMATION FOR CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN OTTAWA By Shihan Liu A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication and Media Studies Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © Shihan Liu, 2019 ABSTRACT Through participant observation at the 2018 Ottawa Night Market Chinatown and interviews with fifteen post-secondary Chinese international students in Ottawa about their dietary acculturation, this research aims to answer the following questions: How does hybridity play out in Chinese students’ dietary acculturation? What are the impacts of festivals and festival foods on hybridization and identity formation? The findings suggest that Chinese students do become more “hybrid” in their food practices, but this is less so from incorporating Canadian food habits, and more a result of increased consumption of various Chinese regional cuisines and Asian cuisines. However, becoming more hybrid does not weaken the participants’ Chinese identity; rather they retain it through attending the Night Market, celebrating traditional Chinese festivals, and maintaining cultural beliefs related to food choices, health and nutrition. This study suggests that hybridization involves multi-cultural and multi-dimensional influences, and confirms that hybridization is distinct from identity formation. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My journey of dietary acculturation and ethnic identity all started about three years ago when I met Dr. Irena Knezevic in her Food and Communication class. The short documentary that I made for the class assignment named One Day gave an insight into the lives of two Chinese students, who were also my friends at Carleton. The documentary recorded the foods that Shuang and Yuzhi consumed on a regular Sunday and the stories behind them. Food communicates their living conditions as well as their dreams in this foreign country, and their sweet memories about home. I was inspired to address the inaccessibility of Chinese food by my own experience as a Chinese student at Carleton. I lived on campus when I first came here. I ate at the café every day and had minimal access to what I used to eat at home. Every time I went out for Chinese food with my Chinese friends was a real treat for me. The gathering was not only about the food but also about coping with culture shock and loneliness. My friends and I only went out for Chinese and other Asian cuisines back then because our stomach and more importantly our heart were not ready for adopting a new culture. Gradually I got used to the food in Ottawa. I started to get excited about the diverse food choices afforded by this multi-cultural country. I constantly explore new cuisines, and sometimes also mistake the foreignness of the cuisines with authenticity. At the same time, my stomach has become intolerant of some spicy Chinese foods, which were my favourites. Unfortunately, that unique taste of home and the pleasure of sharing those spicy foods with my friends also disappeared. And then there are traditional Chinese festivals, during which my mom always remind me of what to eat. My emotions are complex when I reply to my mom that I have eaten this and that, although, in reality, I have not. A gap has occurred between me and my friends and ii family at home in a sense that things matter to them might no longer relevant to me. Just like the purpose of revealing the food journey of Shuang and Yuzhi in One Day, I aim to understand the dietary acculturation and the implications on ethnic identity for Chinese international students in Ottawa at large. Again, food not only communicates the Chinese students' life conditions but also illustrates Canada's inclusivity to these young foreign dreamers. I want to thank my fellow young foreign dreamers, who are the participants in my study. This thesis would not have been possible without your generous sharing of personal stories and sentiments. I also want to dedicate this space to thank my supervisor Dr. Irena Knezevic, who not only inspired me to write about this topic, but also has been extremely encouraging and supportive during the past two years. Your advice and feedback were always constructive, and talking to you always made me feel less anxious and more motivated. I am indeed the luckiest student to have you at my side and to share the same passion for food and communication. I am also truly grateful about the RA opportunities you have provided that made me stronger as an academic in the field. I am indebted to my second reader Dr. Mike Mopas for his thorough and insightful comments and feedback, as well as his unique sociologist perspective on this topic. My thesis would not have been cohesive and consistent without your critical eyes. It has been a pleasant journey to work with you. To all my professors in the communications department at Carleton, who have contributed to my growth both as an academic and as a person. To all my dear professors, who have faith in me, who have urged me to push myself to become the better version of me, and whose academic achievements and integrity I respect the most. Although I cannot name each one of you here, I iii am deeply grateful for your help. A huge thanks to my mom, who has always been the source of inspiration for my academic works. Although you are not aware of it, I appreciate that you make me think about food and life. Of course, I have my friends to thank as well. The foods we partook, as well as the leisure activities we participated, were tremendously nourishing for me in this sometimes-frustrating academic life. Last but not least, I would like to thank my partner Qinting Cai. Thank you so much for your unconditional support that makes me strong during my ups and downs in grad school. I want to especially thank you for making Ottawa like home through cooking those absolutely delicious Chinese dishes, and your company at many joyful dinner tables. I am very fortunate to have you at my side, and to support you anytime you need me. iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Basic culinary triangle after Levi-Strauss (1965) ....................................................................... 29 Table 2: Codes and Subcodes ............................................................................................................................ 68 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Map of the east end of downtown Ottawa .................................................................................... 57 Figure 2 The crowd at the 2018 Asian Night Market (by Shihan Liu). ................................................ 57 Figure 3 The decoration of the Tofu stand at the Night Market (by Shihan Liu). ............................. 58 Figure 4 The all English decoration of the Tibetan food stand (by Shihan Liu). ............................... 58 Figure 5 The Chinese decoration with the simple and small English translation of the Kabob stand and the BBQ Squid stand (by Shihan Liu). ................................................................................................... 59 Figure 6 The set-up of the band at the Night Market (by Shihan Liu).................................................. 59 Figure 7 A screenshot of Kowloon Market’s position in Ottawa from Google map (2018) ....... 100 Figure 8 A screenshot of T&T Supermarket’s position in Ottawa from Google map (2018) ..... 101 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................................................vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Challenges in Adaption .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Chinese Cuisine in Diaspora ................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Chinese Migration to Canada............................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Overview of the thesis ......................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................. 14 2.1 Identity is a Process of Becoming, and Food is a Marker of Identity .................................. 16 2.1.1 Hybrid identity and models of consumer acculturation............................................... 16 2.1.2 The paradox of food habits ................................................................................................... 20 2.1.3 The implications of ethnic festivals on ethnic identities and the collective consciousness .....................................................................................................................................