The issue of authenticity, and what is considered “authentic” is thoroughly questioned in Diamond Grill, leading us to ponder: “Who gets to decide what is authentic?” 

In an article about Americanized Chinese food and authenticity, Shun Lu and Gary Alan Fine write, “People define authenticity in association with their social experiences” (543). In other words, the criteria for what is “authentic” varies depending on the individual and their past experiences.

As the Canadian-born daughter to Chinese immigrants, what I consider to be authentic Chinese food are shaped by my experiences of meals prepared by my mom, or going to restaurants in Chinatown and Richmond with my family. The smells and the flavours that I experienced growing up form my idea of authentic Chinese food. As a result, I’m often very picky about eating Chinese food, because I want it to be “real”.

However, I have to say that apart from my culinary preferences, very little about me is what might be considered “authentically” Chinese. Whenever I get asked “Where are you from?” or “What are you?” I answer “Canada” or “Canadian”. Sometimes I get the follow-up question, “No, but, where are you really from?” I certainly feel attached to my Canadian identity, but I’m still often perceived as Chinese or at least Chinese-Canadian.

In Diamond Grill, Fred Jr. struggles with negotiating between where he feels he belongs, and where others perceive him to belong. Lu and Fine also point to the idea of perception in their article, where they state that “Many customers [at Chinese restaurants] desire the “illusion of authenticity“”, however, “while holding to an illusion of continuity, modification and change are crucial for obtaining culinary acceptance” (541).

The claim by Lu and Fine that customers desire the “illusion of authenticity” regardless of whether the food actually originates from China emphasizes the importance of perception with regards to Chinese cuisine. Lu and Fine also point to the negotiation of traditional Chinese cuisine with Western (in their case American) tastes. Similarly, in Diamond Grill, Fred Jr. has to negotiate his own sense of self and identity with the perception that others have of him.

By questioning what is authenticity, who gets to decide what is authentic, and why we need to decide if something authentic at all, Fred Wah demonstrates that the notion of “authenticity” is not cut and dry after all.

Works Cited 

Lu, Shun and Gary Alan Fine. “The Presentation of Ethnic Authenticity: Chinese Food as a Social Accomplishment”. The Sociological Quarterly. 36.3 (1995). 535-553.