Royal Cafe : Chinese-Western In Alberta

Across Alberta there are found many diner style restaurants serving both Chinese and Western Canadian meals to people in the small-towns they inhabit. It’s a culturally significant and interesting aspect of Albertan identity. This research paper describes a journey to photograph and document these spaces and try to contextualize them within the context of Albertan identity. It details the research the author did to richer understanding of these spaces and their part in what it means to be Albertan. Included in this is a discussion on the significance of food and, in particular, the Chinese-Western dishes such as ginger beef, to communal identity. This paper details how the research influenced my own journey across Alberta and how it translated into a fully realized photo-documentary project that led the author to a greater understanding of what it means to be Albertan.