Toward Engaged and Critical Archaeologies of the Chinese Diaspora

Drawing upon the work of other archaeologists of color and the author’s personal experiences as an Asian American woman in archaeology, this chapter explores potential future directions for Chinese American / diaspora archaeologies as a community-oriented field that is critically engaged with issues of race, racism, racialization, power, capitalism, politics, and white supremacy. Particularly inspired by black feminist archaeology and interdisciplinary work with Ethnic Studies and Asian American Studies, this chapter outlines five areas for building engaged and critical archaeologies of Chinese Americans and the Chinese diaspora: recruiting and retaining more Asian American archaeologists; conducting interdisciplinary work with Ethnic Studies; engaging in collaboration with community partners; practicing critical reflexivity of positionality and privilege; and participating in contemporary politics. The chapter uses examples from Isleton Chinatown and Chinese American community cookbooks to demonstrate what community-engaged, community-collaborative critical archaeologies by archaeologists of color might look like.

Meat Economies of the Chinese American West

Cuisine and diet are topics of particular interest to scholars of Chinese communities in the nineteenth-century American West. Many zooarchaeological analyses have identified beef and pork among the main provisions for miners and townsfolk, and this chapter synthesizes archaeological and historical evidence for food access and supply while exploring contexts of socioeconomics and cuisine which likely structured food choices. By focusing on both urban and rural sites to compare access and food choices, the historical evidence of national railroad–based chains of supply for meat products and Chinese food practices in varied living contexts are investigated. Taphonomic marks of centralized processing and redistribution, documented pricing of meat cuts, and patterns of access across the West provide new perspectives on feeding American communities.

Toward a Historical Archaeology of the Chinese in Montana and a Transnational Lens

Chinese immigrants started arriving in Montana in 1862 to participate in the region’s growing economic growth from gold mining. Over the next 80 years, the Chinese population contributed to the cultural fabric of the state, while contending with a number of challenges, including growing anti-Chinese sentiment, collapse of their population after passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and lack of opportunity for families and entrepreneurial interests. Framing the historical and archaeological story of the Chinese in Montana in regional and transnational trends can broaden the analytical lens compared to other more site-specific narratives.