▁God " ▁or ▁the ▁earth ▁( also ▁see ▁Eu ph em ism ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Con notation ). ▁The ▁entire ▁end ▁of ▁life ▁process ▁is ▁generally ▁treated ▁as ▁a ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁person ' s ▁life , ▁de eds ▁and ▁accomplish ments ▁– ▁the ▁" good ▁things " ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁m our ning ▁of ▁loss . ▁This ▁is ▁most ▁not ably ▁demonstrated ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Orleans ▁jazz ▁fun eral ▁tradition ▁where ▁up be at ▁music , ▁dan cing , ▁and ▁food ▁encou rage ▁those ▁gathered ▁to ▁be ▁happy ▁and ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁hom ego ing ▁of ▁a ▁bel oved ▁friend . ▁ ▁C uis ine ▁ ▁In ▁studying ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁American ▁culture , ▁food ▁cannot ▁be ▁left ▁out ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁med ians ▁to ▁understand ▁their ▁trad itions , ▁religion , ▁interaction , ▁and ▁social ▁and ▁cultural ▁structures ▁of ▁their ▁community . ▁Ob ser ving ▁the ▁ways ▁they ▁prepare ▁their ▁food ▁and ▁eat ▁their ▁food ▁ever ▁since ▁the ▁ens la ved ▁era , ▁reve als ▁about ▁the ▁nature ▁and ▁identity ▁of ▁African ▁American ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁D erek ▁H icks ▁exam ines ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁" g um bo ", ▁which ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁soul ▁food ▁to ▁many ▁African ▁Americans , ▁in ▁his ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁inter t win ement ▁of ▁food ▁and ▁culture ▁in ▁African ▁American ▁community . ▁No ▁written ▁evidence ▁are ▁found ▁histor ically ▁about ▁the ▁g um bo ▁or ▁its ▁reci pes , ▁so ▁through ▁the ▁African ▁American ' s ▁nature ▁of