Project Lead: Jin Feng, Professor of Chinese and Japanese, and Orville and Mary Patterson Routt Professor of Literature
Vivero Fellow (Fall 2026): Sarah Qi
My project “We Are What We Eat (and Serve): Chinese American Restaurants in Small-Town Iowa” focuses on Chuong Garden, a mini chain of Chinese restaurants in Iowa run by members of the same Chinese American family, to explore and document the experiences of Chinese American restaurateurs in small-town Iowa. It delves into timely topics such as immigration, civil rights, and interracial relationships from the unique lens of foodways in rural Midwest, where Chinese American community has been less visible compared to more racially diverse urban centers. I have interviewed Tracy Chen, the manager and co-owner of Grinnell’s Chuong Garden, and will continue my fieldwork this summer and fall to interview other Chuong family members who operate Chuong Gardens in other small towns in Iowa. I propose to collaborate with a Vivero Fellow to present their experiences in accessible digital forms such as a collection of StoryMaps. These materials can be used both for classroom instruction and for educating the public in the future.
