Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2026
Abstract
In terms of culture and identity, there are few things more significant than food. For those who aren't natives of a culture, restaurants and the dining industry are key avenues that open up a part of the world to many different individuals. However, the decisions surrounding the visual and naming aesthetics are what clients of these restaurants see, often made to appease Western/American perceptions of a certain culture. In this paper, we examine the naming conventions and typography of Chinese restaurants in America, with a focus on the Upper Valley region. This paper will examine whether these designs and naming conventions function as soft stereotyping, shaping what non-Chinese customers expect Chinese culture to look like. Furthermore, we will also explore how Chinese and non-Chinese individuals interpret these cues differently, and whether the larger population would prefer (or even recognize) Chinese restaurants that avoid these stereotypes.
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Jiang, David and Burr, Andrew, "Understanding Naming Conventions and Typography for Chinese Restaurants in America" (2026). Research Papers and Posters from ASCL 60.20: Languages and Scripts of Gender, Class, and Nation. 8.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/ascl_60-20/8
