Many forms of culture exist within each ethnic group. Each culture is divided into various categories. These categories can be called subcultures. Subcultures are smaller segments of a culture that are not counter-culture. Examples of these subcultures are music, religion, fashion and cooking. In African-American culture, the cuisine of choice is Soul-food. Soul-food is not only a great food choice, but it also plays a significant role in African-American culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Between the era of 300 and 1619 was when the first slaves arrived in America in Jamestown, Virginia. Many of these slaves were farmers, cattle ranchers, and even fishermen. When they embarked on their journey to America, slaves often brought with them various plants such as okra, watermelon, black cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and even sweet sorghum. During the time of enslavement of African Americans, slave owners controlled the portion of food that slaves would receive, often giving them simple portions of starches and meats. Due to the lack of food the slaves were forced to improvise. This involved scavenging, gardening, hunting and raising livestock. Slaves had to learn to combine their previous knowledge of cooking in Africa with the new knowledge of cooking bestowed upon them by Europeans. Slaves brought from Africa various techniques such as boiling, cooking cabbage, deep frying and grilling. These same techniques were later used in South America and included ribs, fried chicken, and seafood. The use of these techniques became a necessity due to the harsh eating conditions on the plantations. As slavery of African Americans began to increase across America, so did African American cuisine. Not only did food provide nourishment to slaves, but it also established a sense of togetherness, cooking was used as an outlet for self-expression. Slaves often spent 18 hours a day on the plantation where they were unable to express themselves, spend time with loved ones, or even indulge in a home-cooked meal. So they loved coming home and being treated to a home-cooked meal. African American cuisine not only filled the stomachs of the slaves, but it was also a source of knowledge for the slaves. Many slaves could not read or write, so when they created these meals they simply memorized them and passed them down verbally to generations to come. Slaves not only contributed to American cuisine, but they also helped play an important role in the American political system. The food and labor produced by slaves helped America achieve growth and prosperity within the economy. This era was known as the Progressive Era which lasted from 1860 to 1910. Then came the Reconstruction Era also known as Emancipation. Many black church gatherings were held in honor of the Emancipation. Foods such as fried chicken, fried fish, sweet potatoes, watermelon, and red drinks were served and considered celebratory foods. Although emancipation brought a new sense of freedom for blacks, sharecropping would become a new burden on African-American culture. This would then involve the Great Migration in which over 6 million African Americans from the South would move to the North, Midwest, and West from 1916 to 1970. During this period many African Americans were forced to live in segregated portions of cities in which they encountered many immigrants which then exposed them to Chinese meals such as chop suey and beef fried rice.