Alteration of Diery Habits

Abstract

        Foreign students must adapt to the host culture in order to survive. However, is it necessary to become acculturated to perform well, academically or professionally? Based on dietary pattern as the main tool to determine a Taiwanese student level of adaptation, the purpose of the study is to determine 1) how well one has adapted, 2) whether one has simply adapted or become acculturated, 3) Why acculturation occurred or did not occur, and 4) if acculturation is necessary for Taiwanese students to be successful. Information about acculturation and dietary pattern of the increasing Taiwanese students population in the USA is limited. Most of Taiwanese who are original from the Mainland China are considered as Chinese too. Although there is no study about diet and acculturation in Taiwanese, related researches and studies on Chinese can be used.

        A foreign student's success as a scholar may be dependent on the degree of his/her adjustment to the prevailing cultural pattern. One adjustment to an unfamiliar environment is the daily dietary choice. Students are faced with an unfamiliar diversity of food which alters food choices and level of consumption. Food choice, like any complex human behavior, will be influenced by many interrelated factors, such as benefits relating to foods, characteristics of the individual, food, or environment. Obviously, Taiwanese students are faced with a totally different environment in the West and a great adjustment of old dietary habits to American dietary patterns is expected. The question here is do Taiwanese students simply adapt to host country culture to survive or do they actually become acculturated? Adaptation can be viewed as students able and willing to eat American food when Chinese food is not available. Acculturation can be viewed as students are willing to eat American food even though they can cook or choose Chinese...