ABSTRACT
Drawing from the extensive literature on diasporas and business, ethnic authenticity is manifested in a variety of forms. For instance, ethnic cuisine is diverse. So the notion of “sameness” and “differences” emerge at the same time as one considers the authenticity of the nature of business in the cuisine field. In short, the contemporary focus of inquiry is shifting from considering ethnic business in isolation of the mainstream and also independent of the influences of features of country of residence (COR) and country of origin. When considering ethnicity in the COR, it is the individual’s innate characteristics, pre- and post-migration experiences as well as issues related to settlements that shape an individual’s perception of reality. This informs the appropriateness of the framework for examining ethnic authenticity. As a result, one needs to present a suitable framework to be able to interpret the reality and decisions made by the individual in the ethnic business.
