Is it normal to hit a child for refusing to eat or finish food?

During my childhood I spent a significant periods of time living in China with my paternal grandmother who didn't like my mother due to race and often limited contact. When times were good Mama could have then rudimentary webcam contact. B/c in China you go to school until the evening I would come home and almost immediately Mama would be calling to see and talk to her children. I would be talking to my mother and my Chinese Grandmother would put food and tea in front of me trying to make me eat. B/c of food allergies I always ate poorly and after a few bites would say I was done and give back the dishes. My Chinese Grandmother would push the dishes back in front of me and demand in Chinese that I finish the food and when I didn't she would be holding up her hand threatening to hit me and my mother would be like "don't hit my child!" like it was unusual to hit a disobedient child. Now my 1 year old son when he refuses to eat I threaten to smack him and Mama is still like "What the hell is wrong with you?! You don't hit kids for not eating!!"

But that's how I was raised....