Mott Street

A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming

By: Ava Chin

Narrated by: Ava Chin

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

“Essential reading for understanding not just Chinese American history but American history—and the American present.”—Celeste Ng, #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere

* TIME 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 * San Francisco Chronicle's Favorite Nonfiction * Kirkus Best Nonfiction of 2023 * Library Journal Best Memoir and Biography of 2023 * One of Elle's Best Memoirs of 2023 (So Far) * An ALA Notable Book *

“The Angela’s Ashes for Chinese Americans.”—Miwa Messer, Poured Over podcast

As the only child of a single mother in Queens, Ava Chin found her family’s origins to be shrouded in mystery. She had never met her father, and her grandparents’ stories didn’t match the history she read at school. Mott Street traces Chin’s quest to understand her Chinese American family’s story. Over decades of painstaking research, she finds not only her father but also the building that provided a refuge for them all.

Breaking the silence surrounding her family’s past meant confronting the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882—the first federal law to restrict immigration by race and nationality, barring Chinese immigrants from citizenship for six decades. Chin traces the story of the pioneering family members who emigrated from the Pearl River Delta, crossing an ocean to make their way in the American West of the mid-nineteenth century. She tells of their backbreaking work on the transcontinental railroad and of the brutal racism of frontier towns, then follows their paths to New York City.

In New York’s Chinatown she discovers a single building on Mott Street where so many of her ancestors would live, begin families, and craft new identities. She follows the men and women who became merchants, “paper son” refugees, activists, and heads of the Chinese tong, piecing together how they bore and resisted the weight of the Exclusion laws. She soon realizes that exclusion is not simply a political condition but also a personal one.

Gorgeously written, deeply researched, and tremendously resonant, Mott Street uncovers a legacy of exclusion and resilience that speaks to the American experience, past and present.

©2023 Ava Chin (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Chin delights in recalling the lives of her more colorful ancestors . . . But she also writes unflinchingly of the racism and marginalization her family faced after arriving in the American West in the mid-19th century . . . Mott Street is a sensitively told story of survival, resilience, and resistance.”—Shannon Carlin, TIME’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2023

“A deeply empathetic and important book, one that renders visible the hidden achievements and sufferings of her family members—and insists that the wounding history of exclusion be seen clearly as well.”—Julia Flynn Siler, Wall Street Journal

“Chin probes the plight of four generations of her ancestors with the tenacity of a historian, the fine brush of an accomplished artist, and the sensitivity of one who openly communicates with the dead . . . guided by curiosity and courage . . . one of the unexpected gifts is that we hear Chin’s voice throughout . . . in her spine-tingling interactions with the spirits of those who have passed . . . magic.”—Megan Vered, Los Angeles Review of Books

Required reading for every high school student

Excellent exploration into a little known piece of American history that unfortunately is ugly - Chin did an extraordinary feat of research in uncovering how Chinese immigrants were treated for almost 61 years until barbaric laws were finally overturned.
This book is very timely in light of the immigration issues we are facing today

A Beautiful Story

Ava Chin’s book is a must! Love, loyalty, betrayal, history, A wonderfully amazing family saga.

Captivating, fascinating and important read!

In this captivating audiobook, the author's emotive narration skillfully weaves a beautiful tapestry of stories, engaging listeners in a journey from the broad strokes of history to intimate family details. Her inclusion of overlooked Chinese exclusion history enriches the narrative, and her emotional delivery adds a profound connection, making this a must-listen for a compelling exploration of history and family dynamics. A must listen!!

elegiac, compelling family history

some of the early sections engaged me less, but as she got into the 1920s and later, this was wonderful and informative, compassionate and clear eyes

Brilliant

Evocative, joyful, haunting….have stood on that street many times but have a new appreciation for the people and places Chin so brilliantly describes. Can’t wait for her next book!

Tender, Loving, Powerful and Important

We should all be so lucky to have a writer like Ava Chin in our family. I enjoyed this book immensely. It's a highly personal family story, beautifully written. It's important American history as well -- and, in this era of nonstop refugee migration, we do ourselves a favor to understand the impact of the shameful Chinese Exclusion Act. Mott Street, where Ava's family settled, is also the main drag in New York City's Chinatown. So there's some fascinating New York history too. This is a wide-ranging, yet riveting portrait of a very interesting family. The author did the narration and rightly so: it's her story, told perfectly.

Thoroughly researched

A bit redundant and the names were confusing but a clever premise of using Mott Street a a venue for the Chinese American experience.

Enlightening and Enveloping

The story got more and more interesting the further I got into the book. I love the way she created the plot and wove the characters (family members) in.

I learned so much about the history of the Chinese people in America. It was surprising, saddening, and uplifting.

I really enjoyed listening to the author read the book. She made it so easy to listen to and brought me into the story with her vulnerability and openness.

I read Ava's book Eating Wildly before this and loved it. I'd highly recommend that one too.

Great book, great author!

A fascinating slice of America

It was so engaging looking at history through the prism of one family. Thoroughly enjoyable.