Welcome! On this interactive website, I showcase one of
my favorite bookstores along with some of my favorite books by Asian American authors. I believe
that storytelling is one of the best ways to smash these oppressive stereotypes that I see a lot in
media and daily life, so it is just so important to me that diverse books get the representations
that they deserve
Hover over this cozy bookstore to learn some more about Yu & Me and their wondrous story!
For more books that I love, check my Goodreads here.
I first encountered Yu & Me Books at the end of my first
semester of college in New York. As I scrolled through tweets and articles, I became totally
enamored by this book store. Asian American woman owned and dedicated to promoting stories from and
about marginalized communities? Literally all the things that I’m passionate about all snuggled up
into the blanket of a shop in Manhattan’s Chinatown, so of course I would love it!
It’s like reading the summary on the back of a book, expecting a lot from it, and experiencing it
for yourself to find out how much it has exceeded your expectations. This store just feels like
home, it’s heart is filled with so much love and warmth that will leave you prancing around NYC’s
winter without a puffer! (Just kidding, please don’t do that.)
Yu & Me is located at 44 Mulberry Street in New York City’s Chinatown. The store used to be a
funeral supply store, which Yu states as a fitting place for books about many generations, like
respecting the stories of those who passed.
New York City’s first Asian American woman owned bookstore is owned by Lucy Yu. Yu dreamt of opening
a bookstore that would highlight the immigrant stories that she didn’t find growing up, and made
that dream into reality when Yu & Me opened in December 2021!
It has since added a bar and cafe and serves as a community hub, where various events are hosted.
It’s like a safe space where authors and artists can freely showcase their works without being
scared of feeling out of place or rejected.
Yu came up with the name of the book store with her love of puns and nod to her mother. YM are Yu’s
mother’s initials, and Yu & Me, like you and me, signifies the connection that people have when they
share their stories with each other.
In an an interview with Andrea Ruggirello, Yu says this about showcasing immigrant stories:
“I hope they feel less alone and that kids now can feel less isolated growing up. I hope that we can
proudly say that our stories have always been important and deserved to be told. When my mother
first came here, she didn’t have much to start with, and I hope that when future immigrants come
here, they can read these stories and feel that they have more support.”
Enter Yu & Me Books.