Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant

On October 22nd, Duke’s Asian American and Diasporic Studies program hosted internationally acclaimed author Curtis Chin to talk about his award-winning book, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Having given over 300 in-person talks in nine different countries, Chin opens up each conversation with the same question, “How many handmade egg rolls do you think Chung’s (his family’s restaurant) has sold in 65 years?” The answer—over 10 million. 

In a story that blends generations of migration, movement, and desire for upward mobility, Chin paints a narrative of understanding his identity in a city undergoing its own identity crisis—Detroit, Michigan. In the 80’s, Detroit was experiencing economic and racial shocks, and as a Chinese American, Chin was caught in the middle. Violence was not uncommon, and neither was racialized strife. Through it all, Chung’s brought people together through food, so much so, that in his audiences, Chin has encountered former customers who continue remember it fondly. And though the restaurant was an important space to the community, Chin’s mother insisted he go to college.  After studying poetry at the University of Michigan, he went on to co-found the Asian American Writers Workshop, write poetry and prose, and work on documentaries that relate to Asian America. 

On Asian American identity, Chin spoke about how it's constantly in flux. Definitions shift, and one doesn’t have to settle for anybody else’s definition. He also pointed out that there is no intrinsic identity—politics and values define identity, not the other way around. As the Asian diaspora continues to grow, our understanding of ourselves and where we fit in requires remembrance of our history and hope for our future. Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is a moving and amusing memoir that inspired Duke’s audience with memories of Asian America, Detroit, and how to make enough egg rolls to feed a city.