Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant

A Memoir

By: Curtis Chin

Narrated by: Curtis Chin

This poignant memoir tells the story of Curtis Chin’s time growing up as a gay Chinese American kid in 1980’s Detroit.

“Vivid, moving, funny, and heartfelt” —Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

Nineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city’s spiraling misfortunes; and where—between helpings of almond boneless chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, and some of his own, less-savory culinary concoctions—he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself.

Served up by the cofounder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung’s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation: to step inside one boy’s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him—and perhaps even share something off the secret menu.

An American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book—Israel Fishman Nonfiction Award • A 2024 Michigan Notable Book • Best Nonfiction Books of the Year—Kirkus Reviews • Best Books of the Year—Apple Books • TIME’s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2023 • San Francisco Chronicle’s Highly Anticipated Books to Put on Your Radar This Fall 2023 • Washington Post’s Books to Read This Fall 2023 • Eater’s Best Food Books to Read 2023 • Lambda Literary Review’s October’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Literature 2023

Critic reviews

"Vivid, moving, funny, and heartfelt, Curtis Chin’s memoir showcases his talents as an activist and a storyteller. This is one man’s story of growing up gay, Chinese American, and working class in 1980s Detroit, finding a place in a large and loving immigrant family and in a changing city—and in doing so, carving out a place in the world for himself."—Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

"The work Curtis Chin has done as a writer and organizer made so much of this current moment possible—a memoir from him is a cause for celebration."—Alexander Chee, bestselling author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

“Coming out and coming of age are hard enough for the average teen, but when they’re in a Chinese American family, in a city in conflict with itself, it becomes an epic journey of self-discovery. As a kid who also ran around in the back of a Chinese restaurant, this book is literary comfort food, so delicious and good for the soul. Curtis Chin’s story of coming of age and coming out is endearing and unforgettable.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong May

"Curtis Chin's movable feast of a memoir dishes out everything you might want in a literary meal—savory reflections of our recent history, the sour-sweet tang of adolescent nostalgia, a little sauce, a lot of heart—and yes, plenty of hot tea. The real magic is in how a book that's so fulfilling still leaves you hungry for more." —Jeff Yang, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Screen and Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the 90s to Now

a subtle story

I liked the book overall. In my opinion, the performance was good but not great. I feel like the areas the writer chose to emphasize and the ones they underplayed were interesting choices that, for me at least, took away from the meat of the story.

Fun and enlightening read.

A unique and enlightening perspective for someone coming of age in a multi-generational, cross-cultural, tumultuous time in American history.

Engaging

Well written and engaging, for someone who grew up in Michigan around the same time, I could often times relate personally. Performance was excellent.

frankness and more real than most

done of the stories were edited to such a level that it left you looking for more

A wonderful comming of age story,

Growing up with a large family in downtown Detroit, Curtis Chin uses his family's restaurant a focus point to brach out and explore his family's history, the city in the 1970-1980's, and how he pieced together his identity.