It’s understandable Eddie Huang feels out of place when he visits Cape Cod. Located in America’s north-east, the tourist hot spot is whiter than white. Both the locals and those who holiday there year in, year out have essentially formed a monoculture that’s nothing like the melting pot of New York to which the chef is accustomed.
Visiting the cape is a good idea. It takes Huang out of his comfort zone – he even changes what he’s wearing in an effort to feel less conspicuous – and allows him to soak up a culture he’d never otherwise encounter, unashamed Trump voters included. There are also some local specialties to sample, including a burger with a donut for a bun.
What wasn’t a good idea was agreeing to sing “God Bless America” at a baseball game. For one thing, Huang is no singer. And his particular rendition does not go down well at all, with one irate local fuming, “Singing ’God Bless America’ is not a joke.”
The exception to the rule in Cape Cod is Martha’s Vineyard, which retains a large Native American population, who continue the traditions of their ancestors. It probably won’t surprise you to learn Huang does a better job joining in their food gathering practice than he does on the microphone.
Watch Huang’s World on Saturday 26 November at 7:35pm on SBS VICELAND. You can stream his visit to Cape Cod now at SBS On Demand:
