The All-American Slurp by Lensey Namioka is about a Chinese-American girl who arrives in America with her family, the Lins. They are not used to the American way of life as they just emigrated from China. The Gleasons, a neighboring family, invited them to dinner and served raw celery that was unpeeled. Their guests did not know about American table manners and so they pulled out the long, silky white strings in the celery stalk. However, the Gleason family still treated them well and the Lin family found out that raw celery tastes just as good as cooked celery. Later, the narrator and her brother had to go to an American school. Because she did not know much about English vocabulary, she was less social than her brother. They also were not used to American fashion styles. Meg and the narrator’s other classmates all wore jeans, but she was the only one to wear a skirt. The family faced multiple other problems, but they faced them with a positive attitude and the Americans were tolerant to the newcomers.
The Lin family had a different culture compared to the Americans. Their differences included language, clothes, food, and etc. When the Gleasons invited the Lin family to have dinner with them, the Lins were not accustomed to eating celery raw and unpeeled. They embarrassed themselves by pulling out the long, silky strings in the celery. Later, they had to learn a new language. The narrator’s mother made some mistakes and both her parents kept their Chinese accent even after years. The narrator made sure to make no mistakes while talking so she spoke slowly, which was the exact opposite of what her brother did. Later, the Lin family again humiliated themselves at Lakeview Restaurant. They ate soup the Chinese way, which was with a slurp. That attracted the attention of everyone else in the restaurant, including the waiters and waitresses. At the end, the Lin family invited the Gleasons to dinner. The Gleasons behaved strangely, at least from the narrator’s perspective. She almost even giggled. Because the Lin family and the Americans had different cultures, they found each other’s behaviors strange and foreign. Both the Chinese immigrants and the Americans appeared odd to each other mainly due to their customs.
The Lin family was open-minded to American culture despite finding it weird. The narrator and her family were quick to try to learn English and treated others respectfully. Everybody in the narrator’s family had their own unique way of learning English. For example, her mother simply memorized the polite phrases that could be used in all social situations, while her brother learned English from his fellow classmates. At the end of the story, the Lin family invited the Gleasons to have dinner. The Gleasons did not know Chinese etiquette, so they had some odd behaviors. For example, Meg took some food from a second plate before she finished helping from the first. Meanwhile, Mr. Gleason didn’t know how to use chopsticks so he ate the pea with his fingers. The narrator nearly giggled but was silenced by her mother who reminded her that the Gleasons were not used to Chinese table manners. Although they were in a foreign country, the Lin family had an open-minded attitude and were quick to adapt to their circumstances. The Lin family was willing to change their ways in order to fit in with their new community.
The Lin family’s friends were kind, helpful, and tolerant to the newcomers. The Gleasons treated their guests, the Lin family, well. Meg, one of the Gleason girls, was concerned for them. The Gleasons kindly offered the Lin family some celery and some sauce to dip it in. The Lin family peeled the strings out of their celery, which they were probably not supposed to do. Despite this, the Gleasons still demonstrated kindness and helpfulness, as shown they explained that it was a buffet dinner so they were supposed to take some food and eat it in the living room. The day after, Meg, the narrator’s friend, said that she was worried that they did not get enough to eat. After all, they only ate some potato salad which obviously was not enough. The Gleasons and the Lins were welcoming to each other despite their differences. Although the two families appeared strange to one another, they had no problems forming bonds.
The All-American Slurp by Lensey Namioka is centered on a Chinese American girl whose family recently emigrated from China to the United States. Although they do not know much about the American manners, language, and style of clothing, they are still welcomed by the Gleasons and other families in the neighborhood. This story teaches that we should be accepting of others even if they have different cultures. The Americans and Chinese had different ways of dressing, eating, and speaking. For example, when the Lin family went to the Gleasons for dinner, they disgraced themselves by peeling out the long strings in the celery before eating it. After all, they were not used to eating raw, unpeeled celery. When the Gleasons were invited to dinner by the Lins, they also embarrassed themselves because they did not know much about Chinese etiquette. Despite this, the two families became friends with each other. Not only is the story entertaining, but it also features key themes such as having a positive attitude towards unfamiliar situations and to newcomers. It also shows that not everybody is the same and that we will encounter different cultures in our lives.
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