By the 1950's and 60's "going for Chinese" had become part of the suburban vernacular. In

places like New York City, eating Chinese food became intertwined with the traditions of other ethnic groups, especially that of Jewish immigrants. Many Jewish families faithfully visited their favorite Chinese restaurant every Sunday night. Among the menus in the exhibition are selections from Glatt Wok: Kosher Chinese Restaurant and Takeout in Monsey, N. Y. , and Wok Toy in Cedarhurst, N.Y..

Until 1965 Cantonese-speaking immigrants, mainly from the county of Toisan. dominated the industry and menus reflected a standard repertory of tasty but bland Americanizations of Cantonese dishes. But loosening immigration restrictions that year brought a flood of people from many different regions of China, starting "authenticity revolution," said Ed Schoenfeld, a restaurateur and Chinese food consultant.

Top chefs who were trained in spicy and more unusual regional specialties, like Hunan and Sichuan cooking, came to New York then, Mr. Schoenfeld said.

President Richard M. Nixon's trip to China in 1972 awakened interest in the country and accounts of his meals helped whet diners' appetites for new dishes. An illustration of a scowling Nixon with a pair of chopsticks glares down from the wall at the exhibition.

Hunan and Sichuan restaurants in New York influenced the taste of the whole country, Mr. Schoenfeld said. Dishes like General Tso's chicken and crispy orange beef caught on everywhere.

But as with the Cantonese food before it, Mr. Schoenfeld said, the cooking degraded over time, as it became mass produced. Today's batter-fried, syrup-laden version of Chinese food, he said, bears little resemblance to authentic cuisine.

The real explosion of Chinese restaurants that made them ubiquitous came in the 1980's, said Betty Xie, editor of Chinese Restaurant News. "Now you see there are almost one or two Chinese restaurants in every town in the United States. " she said.

There are signs that some have tired of Chinese food. A 2004 Zagat survey showed that its popularity has ebbed somewhat in New York City. But the journey of the Chinese restaurant remains the story of the American dream, as experienced by a constant but evolving stream of Chinese immigrants who realized the potential of 12-hour days, borrowed capital and a willingness to cook whatever Americans wanted. Sales margins are tight, and wages are low.

Restaurants are passed from one family member to the next, or sold by one Chinese family to another. Often a contingency written into sales contracts is that the previous owners train the new owners.

Nowadays it is overwhelmingly Fujianese immigrants, many of them smuggled into this country illegally, who are flocking to the restaurant business because they have few other options.

"The competition in Chinese communities is cutthroat," Mr. Chen, the co-curator, said. "What people realize is you can make much, much better profit in places like Montana. "

From the first paragraph we know that by the 1950's and 60's Chinese food was a favorite of ______.

A．the suburban dwellers

B．New Yorkers

C．ethnic immigrants

D．Jewish immigrants