It seems that in America, black people are crazy about Chinese food. I live in France and this is not the case, and my British friends say they have never noticed it. What are the cultural reasons (if any) behind this affinity for Chinese food?
User Detail :
Name : Tom-I, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 34, City : Paris, State : NA Country : France, Occupation : professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, I am black and like Chinese food, but I am part Asian. None of my black friends like Chinese food very much (they tolerate it for my sake every so often), but for the most part, I don't know any black people - except those who are mixed with Asian - who love Chinese food the way you are saying. What do you base this weird assumption on?
User Detail :
Name : Sharon, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, City : Clinton Township, State : MI Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, I'm a white American who loves Chinese food (Japanese, too). Over the years, I have been to many Asian restaurants, yet I don't recall having ever seen many black people in any of them. In fact, I've noticed very few. I'm curious about where you got this notion. I think I will have to start making an effort to take a (discreet) look at other restaurant patrons. Perhaps I will come back here and let you know what I learn.
User Detail :
Name : Marie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 36, City : Jeffersonville, State : IN Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, Black people are rich in taste for great-tasting things ... and Chinese food is just good as hell!
User Detail :
Name : Nyla, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Willingboro, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, It's been my experience that every country has its own version of high-quality convenience food. In America it's Chinese, in France it's Vietnamese, in England it's Indian, and in the Netherlands it's Indonesian. I theorize this is because this is where each country had its colonies (America just imported its colonies) and took the locals as servants. When the servants had children, the only jobs they could get were as cooks. Because they could not get jobs as 'respectable chefs,' regardless of the quality of the food, the cuisine became fast food and developed (unfairly) low-class associations. I find this very regrettable, especially as each of these cultures has absolutely amazing food that sadly cannot be properly experienced in some countries.
User Detail :
Name : Alex29023, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 21, City : Beloit, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Writer, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, I wouldn't say all black folks are crazy about Chinese food, but Asian restaurants, especially Chinese take-out places, have always been plentiful in working-class and low-income black neighborhoods (it's economical for a business to open in lower-income neighborhoods because the rent is cheaper). Because of that, many black Americans have been exposed to Chinese food. The food is relatively inexpensive, not to mention rather tasty.
User Detail :
Name : KD, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20s, City : Virginia Beach, State : VA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, I believe it is not really the Chinese food that black people like but the combination of all-you-can-eat buffets and the fact that one doesn't feel the need to tip well, because it's usually just drinks being refilled by the waitstaff. The black culture seems to have a well-known aversion to tipping.
User Detail :
Name : Shane, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Secular Humanist, Age : 28, City : Memphis, State : TN Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Your assertion that there is a 'well-known' aversion to tipping in the Black community is a stereotype and insulting. In addition, when waitstaff are rude to customers for no reason, should they really be rewarded for that behavior? That would be the only reason I would not tip someone.
User Detail :
Name : Lynn, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 31, City : Charlotte, State : NC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Most people in America love Chinese cuisine. I haven't noticed a preponderance of black people in any Chinese restaurant I have ever visited. Maybe Europeans don't appreciate Chinese cuisine as much as Americans, but you can be sure that Caucasian Americans enjoy Chinese cuisine at approximately the same level that African Americans do.
User Detail :
Name : John29170, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 39, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, I am black and have never noticed any unusually high affinity for Chinese food among the black people I've known. If I can speculate, though, I would note that many Chinese dishes use rice, which is very common in black culture. Certain specific Chinese dishes use vegetables, fried meat and/or sauces, which are also common in black culture.
User Detail :
Name : Mike W., Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, There isn't a cultural reason. Chinese food tastes good to lots of folks (I see many Hispanics whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant).
User Detail :
Name : ED25519, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 48, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, ... Hey, don't go there with the tipping stereotypes... ignorant people in general do that... ..people who haven't 'noticed' black people in asian/chinese restaurants-- are you in outer SUBURBAN locales? in a sit-down restaurant? in Urban/Inner City areas, Take-Out restaurants are the most common, and they are frequented by local residents quite often..
User Detail :
Name : Sean-C, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, City : detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, I burst out laughing when I read this. Years ago, on the Bill Cosby show (Cosby is a famous, and black, comedian), the family was going for Chinese food and one of the children protested, 'Chinese food again? We aren't even Jewish!' American Jews have had a reputation for enjoying Chinese food, and I've never heard that said of blacks. On the other hand, many of the Caribbean immigrants in the USA seem to favor Chinese food. There are many Chinese restaurants in Puerto Rican neighborhoods, and they often combine the two cuisines.
User Detail :
Name : JerryS, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : New Britain, State : CT Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, HAHAHAHA!! That was laughable...though not entirely untrue. The Black culture does not have an 'aversive disregard' for tipping, we simply prefer to tip on the nature and caliber of service. I've seen Black people get downright angry when restaurants impose a mandatory gratuity, because it is often those places that have the poorest service because the staff knows they'll have their tip (at the highest percentage, mind you) automatically added to the patron's bill. I've also seen Black people tip according to the 'expected' percentages. Moreso, we tip according to how we feel we were serviced and not often with the servicepersons base pay being taken into account because #1) they chose this line of work, #2) some people feel as if it is in their job description to serve the table, not a favor. We do not tip the dry cleaner for cleaning our clothes, so why tip the waitstaff for waiting, #2) it is not our job to make up for the lack their employer imposes to their wallets with terrible pay rates. A lot of White people feel obligated to give 10-15% or more of a tip because they don't want to be seen as cheap and they want to feel as if they really helped that person out. If I had to wait 10 minutes for water and 10 more minutes for butter or ten more minutes for extra ketchup or whatever, I tip accordingly. Hence, there are times when the service is too poor to merit a BIG tip or any tip at all, but if the service is so bad I'm inclined NOT to tip at all, then I let my dissatisfaction known to management so the person will at least know why I chose not to tip them. I'm not saying there are some Black people who simply don't tip at all, but it is definitely not an ACROSS-THE-BOARD occurrence because I always tip something, but it's according to service and not obligation. Not tipping for no reason is rude and uncalled for...but, I've seen other races do it, too, so it's not just a Black thing.
User Detail :
Name : Raquel, Gender : F, Age : 31, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, The black culture seems to have a well-known aversion to tipping. POSTED 10/10/2004 Shane, Memphis, TN, United States, 28, Female, Secular Humanist, White/Caucasian, Straight, Over 4 Years of College, Middle class, Mesg ID 107200473454 23% of Blacks in America live in poverty- 12% of American's live in poverty... Throw in the fact that it is well known that the poverty line is far below what is required for decent living and you can say that blacks are grossly overrepresented in American poverty. Blacks are highly likely to get snubbed in places of public service SUCH AS RESTERAUNTS, stores, etc., are extremly more likely to be declined a loan from the bank, more likely to be charged higher prices for cars, make considerbly less than their white counterparts- are still being held back by glass ceiling as far as promotions go - are more likely to be downsized, are much more likely to be placed in positions of very little if any upward mobility, often are in neighborhoods with poor schooling and high crime becasue the govt. has created laws to keep blacks in urban ghettos, blacks are more likely to not get hired or even an interview even with the same qualifications as a white applicant, etc etc etc... Before you sit and decide that black people are just stingy with tips first - please look at all of teh circumstances behind why black people may not have as much spending money as their white counterparts.
User Detail :
Name : Di25723, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 18, City : Lansing, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 
Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences .
