Dr. Maysoon Taher Muhi
Department of English, College of Education for Women, University of Baghdad, Iraq
This paper sheds light on the symbolic role of food in the complex dynamics of cultural identity in Elizabeth Wong’s Kimchee and Chitlins (1990). Food serves as a medium for connecting different cultures and promoting the negotiation of identities. The play uses food as a powerful symbolic tool to explore the intricate aspects of cultural identity and the challenges of cross-cultural interaction among Asian American and African American immigrant communities. Wong employs the contrasting food items of kimchee (a traditional Korean pickle) and chitlins (pig intestines) as metaphors for the generational and cultural divides experienced by Asian and African American characters. Furthermore, this paper contributes to the academic understanding of how literature utilizes culinary metaphors to investigate themes of identity, tradition, and intercultural interactions.
Keywords: Cultural Identity, Food, Kimchee and Chitlins, Asian Americans, African Americans, Culinary Metaphors
The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The 10th International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature (WWW.TLLL.IR), 1-2 February 2025, Ahwaz.
