Lost in Translation

Investigating Systematic Discrepancies between Parallel English and Chinese Names of American Chinese Restaurants [Archived]

Research

This paper investigates the naming practices of over 3,000 American Chinese restaurants (ACRs), focusing on the cultural dynamics between their English and Chinese names. While prior studies have analyzed English names alone, this research highlights the often divergent meanings between the two language versions. These naming patterns reveal a nuanced negotiation between cultural assimilation and identity preservation. The study offers a systematic analysis of how Chinese immigrants use restaurant names to navigate belonging in American society.

Computational Social Science, Large Language Model, Bridging, Communication, Identity Representation, Translation
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Collaborators

Hang Jiang

PhD candidate

Nanxi Liu

Collaborator

Cassandra Overney

PhD candidate

Rukun Zhang

PhD candidate

Artemisia Luk

Design Lead

Diyi Yang

Collaborator

Professor Deb Roy

Director & Principal Investigator

Jad Kabbara

Research Scientist

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