Is Chop Suey "Real" Chinese Food?

I went to the Hull House Rethinking Soup presentation today. They served Won Ton Soup. The speaker was Monica Eng, who is the writer of the foods section in the Chicago Tribune. She spoke about the history of Chinese food in Chicago. I found the presentation fascinating because I always wondered how Chop Suey and other "Chinese foods for Caucasians" came to be. I learned that the various types of Chinese food is intricately linked with our political and economical history. For instance, the Chinese Exclusion and the various waves of different Asian immigrants had a huge effect on the types of Chinese food being served, from the city out to the suburbs. She also shared about some of the other projects she's working on, just looking into the conditions of the CPS lunch program and possible ways to improve it. As she was talking and sharing her stories, ideas, places she's eaten, and answering questions, it made me really want to pursue a career that somehow deals with food and nutrition and education. Oh, and I went to my honors class late purposely so I could hear her presentation. My fascination with food and Asian American history kept me there, even though I knew I had an in class essay that I would miss. I felt like this was something important. I don't know how to describe it, but I just felt like I really had to be there because I knew it would impact me in some way. But yeah, a career that combines food, nutrition, education, and various cultures really interests me. I'm gunna look into that. =)