"Reclaiming True Grits” and "Eating the Hyphen”

             In "Reclaiming True Grits" by Bryant Terry he explains how the definition of Soul Food has been twisted into something it's not. Instant grits, fried chicken, "unsophisticated and unhealthy fare comprised of high-calorie, low-nutrient dishes" (Terry, 82) is what most of society thinks of when they hear the words "Soul Food". Terry goes on to say that soul food is good for you and delicious when made correctly. I myself have never tried real soul food and I would like to after reading this piece. I think it's offensive to African American families that this term became used so wrongly by so many people. Terry also talks about how African American's are known to be overweight or have diabetes more than other races. I think has more to do with genes than how they eat. Terry wants to improve not just the health of African Americans but also every American by having more access to healthy foods.
             "Eating the Hyphen" by Lily Wong tells how she bridges the gap of being Chinese American by eating her dumplings with ketchup. I enjoyed this piece because it was funny and it gave me an idea of how to eat dumplings next time I have them. She mixes steak dumplings with veggies and puts ketchup on the side. Wong then cuts each dumpling in half and squishes the insides out with her fork. She eats all of the meat (dipped in ketchup) along with the veggies first and leaves the thick dumpling skin for last. I like that she takes how she eats dumplings as a symbol for how she's both Chinese and American. She also included how her grandmother gives her a hard time which I think is funny. Overall I liked these pieces.