Yu & Me Books
| Company type | Independent bookstore |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Books) |
| Founded | December 2021 |
| Founder | Lucy Yu |
| Headquarters | Manhattan, New York City , United States |
Area served | Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City |
| Products | Books, community events |
Yu & Me Books operates as an independent bookstore situated in Chinatown, Manhattan. It holds the distinction of being the sole bookstore in New York City owned by an Asian American woman. The store specializes in literature pertinent to the Asian American community and has featured events with notable writers such as Ocean Vuong, Sayaka Murata, and Hua Hsu. In 2023, a fire originating in a residential unit forced the bookstore to close temporarily. Following a collective community fundraising initiative and reconstruction efforts, it resumed operations seven months later at its original location on Mulberry Street.
Founding
Lucy Yu, who developed a passion for reading during her upbringing in Los Angeles, aspired to one day manage a combined coffee shop and bookstore. Although her professional background was in chemical engineering and supply chain management, while employed at a food startup in New York City amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Yu began formulating plans to establish her own bookstore.[1]
Despite widespread reports of a downturn in American bookselling during the COVID-19 crisis, Yu chose to launch her bookstore within Manhattan's Chinatown.[2] Leveraging approximately $16,000 raised via GoFundMe alongside significant personal savings, Yu inaugurated Yu & Me Books in December 2021, marking it as the first and only bookstore in New York City owned by an Asian American woman.[3][4][5] Launching amid a rise in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans, Yu envisioned the bookstore as more than just a collection of community-relevant literature; she intended it to serve as a welcoming refuge for members of the Asian American population.[6][7] Beyond book sales, Yu organized various events including author talks, open mic nights, and even workshops focused on plant potting.[8]
Fire
On July 4, 2023, a blaze erupted in a residential unit located above the bookstore, resulting in the tragic death of tenant Frank Yee and inflicting extensive damage to the entire structure, which led to the bookstore's temporary shutdown. Over one thousand books suffered irreparable harm.
Soon after, Yu launched a GoFundMe campaign anticipating $60,000 would be necessary to replace lost stock and $80,000 for rebuilding costs. Remarkably, within just 24 hours, more than $230,000 was raised from thousands of donors, including notable figures such as Simu Liu and Celeste Ng. By the conclusion of the fundraiser, the total amount collected reached $369,555.
Additional support came through various fundraising events, including a reading hosted by Hua Hsu at New Design High School, alongside solidarity initiatives from fellow booksellers like Archestratus Books, Astoria Bookshop, Books Are Magic, and Book Club Bar. An auction held to benefit the bookstore featured prizes such as a dinner with actor Randall Park.
While coordinating repairs with landlords and contractors, Yu continued operations by selling books and hosting events at multiple temporary pop-up locations and later at Market Line Food Hall. The local nonprofit Welcome to Chinatown provided storage space for Yu’s remaining inventory during this period, while Golden Diner assisted with insurance matters and helped outline a recovery timeline.
Although Yu initially estimated that renovations and reopening would require approximately one year, the bookstore remarkably resumed business after seven months on January 28, 2024. The reopening drew numerous authors, booksellers, and community members to celebrate, including Min Jin Lee. Beyond restoring the original storefront, Yu also renovated its basement to increase shelving capacity and create seating areas for visitors.
Events
Yu & Me Books has previously featured a range of notable guests, including Sally Wen Mao, Neema Avashia, Nini Nguyen, Anton Hur, Susan Bernofsky, Sam Bett, Ocean Vuong, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, and Sayaka Murata. The store also collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to host a Lunar New Year pop-up event benefiting Soar over Hate, a charitable organization.
In celebration of the launch of Haruki Murakami's The City and Its Uncertain Walls, Yu & Me Books is among eight bookstores nationwide selected to hold a Murakami Midnight Party on November 18, 2024.
References
- ↑ Chan, Goldie. "Sharing Literary Stories With Yu & Me Bookstore Owner Lucy Yu". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ↑ Alter, Alexandra; Harris, Elizabeth A. (July 10, 2022). "Some Surprising Good News: Bookstores Are Booming and Becoming More Diverse". The New York Times.
- ↑ McCourry, Olivia (September 2022). "Yu & Me Books". World Literature Today. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ↑ Fang, Marina (2024-10-21). "Lucy Yu Is Redefining What A Bookstore Can Be". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ↑ Nowell, Cecelia (December 27, 2021). "A 27-year-old wanted to see her Asian American story reflected in bookstores. So she opened her own".
- ↑ Kaur, Harmeet (2022-08-05). "How a tiny Chinatown bookstore became a hub for authentic Asian American stories". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ↑ Aratani, Lauren (2022-03-31). "Amid a rise in anti-Asian hate, a bookstore in New York's Chinatown is helping its community heal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ↑ Karnadi, Chris (February 6, 2024). "The Reopening of Yu & Me Books is a Triumph of Community". Asian American Arts Alliance. Retrieved 2024-11-05.