#some of my biggest culture shocks when i visited colombia were things i would've never thought of as being cultural things before

[isitovernow-ootw]

i would also argue that food made by immigrants is still very much american/english/etc food. many cultures have food inspired by foreign food or foods that existed before the people lived in that particular region, but evolved separately and customized to what's available and cheap in the new region

like americanized italian and chinese food are at least as usamerican as they are italian or chinese, and southwestern states all have their own variations on mexican food that have been evolving independently since long before they were part of the united states and are different than anything served in what is now mexico. for example you cant simply call new mexican food mexican food. its new mexican food and therefore technically USAmerican food

not to mention Black soul food which has its own unique history.

insisting all these cuisines are just, like, bastardized versions of their home countries' food (or in the case of Black food conveniently forgetting it) totally erases the experiences of the immigrants who create something totally new with skills they learned elsewhere and ingredients & conditions new to them. their food matters just as much as anything else.

and if anyone wants to pull out a "but other food cultures have evolved over a much longer time", remember we have to draw a line somewhere, and none of these foods fit cleanly into any existing category. so its either completely ignore them, treat them as illegitimate, or acknowledge them as new forms of usamerican food. and you know which one of those option im picking

i keep thinking of a tom holland interview where he said he preferred english food too american and when he was asked why he had the interviewer name off american food and he went through and pointed out how they all originated from other countries. and i have my issues with it cause…. bestie the call us coming from inside the house! like most food that originated from england was from other cultures. and fish and chips is the one thing england has on english food but IT WAS INVENTED BY A JEWISH IMMIGRANT! like how are you going to say that you prefer english food when it’s all from immigrants to?????

also, american food is just all fair food. like anything deep fried is american. put some respect on our name.