The informant learned this folk custom when traveling to Japan.
“Ok, so in Japan when you eat your sushi, you’re supposed to dip your fish first into the soy sauce, not the rice, because the rice is like white, and it’s supposed to be pure, when it goes into your mouth.”
She believes that it has a higher meaning for Japanese people but only practices it herself to be polite.
The informant is recounting a Chinese proverb from home. He does not remember where he heard it.
“The cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.”
He interprets it to mean that even a skillful person cannot achieve without the proper resources.
I find it interesting that the culture cannot envision a meal without rice. This speaks to just how intrinsic to the Chinese culture rice actually is.
My informant told me the story of the Rice children’s kidnapping in the town of Westborough, Massachusetts:
“Back in the 1700s when Westborough was young, the three Rice children were playing in a field. Indians came and killed one son, and kidnapped the other two. The children were raised by the Indians, and when they had grown one son returned to Westborough and his family while the other stayed and lived out his life with his new tribe. Today there is a large rock that sits on the spot of land next to the High School where the incident occurred. There is a plaque on the rock that tells the story. Sometimes, late at night, there is an eerie fog that can be seen around the rock.”
My informant first heard this legend from her mother, and then read it again on the rock. She tells it to people when they pass the rock on their way to school. She heard the part about the fog from her friend who lives near the rock and can see it from her bedroom window.
I found this to be an interesting piece of folklore because it is widely known in the town. I grew up in Westborough and the rock with the plaque keeps the legend alive because it is where kids hang out after school. You can’t help but read it as you sit on the boulder so the legend keeps getting revived. It is supposedly true since the town made an official marking to display the story, but the exact spot of the kidnapping is approximated. I also found it interesting that there was no apparent reason for the kidnapping. It represents the Native Americans in a negative light in that they seemingly randomly abducted/killed the children. It reflects upon the tension between the two ethnic groups at the time.
Not finishing every grain of rice will result in not finding a husband.
Christinas parents and grandparents moved over from Taiwan to Los Angeles and brought over many superstitions to pass on. Even though Christina was born in the United States, she is still acquainted with these superstitions and follows it in front of her family. At the dinner table, she remembers that she could not leave the table until she finished every single grain of rice in her rice bowl. If she did not, then her mother would always say that she would not be able to find a husband in the future. Christina also recalls being a particularly picky eater; she proved her mother wrong when she got married, despite the fact that she did not always finish her rice. Christina simply thinks that this superstition was a tactic for her parents to make her eat more and to not be wasteful with her food, but does not think that it is true.
This approach toward Chinese superstitions shows that the second-generation children do not fully understand and accept their parents beliefs. This is very common with the Americanized children who think that the parents make up beliefs to get their way. However, this superstition can be explained in two ways. First, each grain of rice in the bowl can be symbolic of the selection of husbands in the future. When one is picky about which person, then one will never find a suitable husband. Second, the Chinese like to be frugal and to not throw away leftovers. In this manner, the idea of wasting the rice in the bowl is equivalent to not being a good wife. Therefore, a husband will never come. Regardless of the origin of this superstition, this belief focuses more on the values of the Chinese culture. If one does not find a good husband, it is equivalent to having bad luck, emphasizing the value that the Chinese puts on a good husband and family. This superstition points out that the Chinese Americans do not always accept the beliefs of their culture, as well as the importance of a husband to a young woman.