"For here or to go? As I got older, it was a question I asked myself."

Curtis Chin shares a heartfelt memoir, giving the reader just a taste of his American Chinese upbringing. At times humorous, at others emotional, the book is a satisfying read.

"I still worried that life was short," he writes, "but I knew it was never too short to make my parents happy."

I most appreciated the author sharing his efforts in finding his own voice - not the voice of his mother or his family, not the faked voices of others in his classes. But his own voice.

"I committed myself to finding a safe place to further my poetry writing."

"Go go go, my family's final words to me that night, confirmation that I was making the right choice."

This book was a fun step outside of my normal fantasy realm. I appreciate how candid Mr. Chin is in the telling of his story as it really helps to immerse you into his experiences. Memoirs like this from those who experience race relationships from the perspective of one often looked down upon are truly eye opening and educational. This story being written from the perspective of not only an Asian man, but a gay one growing up inside both a country and a culture that trend on the conservative side was downright heartbreaking in parts and incredibly uplifting in others. My only complaint is that I would have liked for him to include the resolution of him ultimately coming out to his family, as his concerns around this was a very strong theme throughout this book.

This was a really interesting book. Based on C UN IT ISS life.. His family ran A restaurant called CH UN Gs. In detroit. I like how every chapter describes this boy's life from the sixties on up. He had to deal with a lot because he was remembered three. His grandmother didn't really like his mother. So she made life hard for everybody around her.. She blamed her son because she married another woman. Instead of the one and he was sent to Hong Kong. I like how the culture history of this boy. Because he had Crushes on men I I'm different phases of his life. He was afraid what his family would think because they were so chinese. Trying to please everybody. It was very hard because his older brothers would pick on him all the time.. When he was growing up in detroit in the sixties, there was a lot of music and very Interesting culture. As the years passed, Detroit became more violent and a lot of people left the area to go to the suburbs. It's family moved to the suburbs for better schooling. Because his mother always stressed that. He had trouble fitting in school because he was so smart and teachers really didn't understand him. As he grew up, he became republican in high school and he started his writing career then. You'd like to san francisco and this is where he always wanted to go. He then went to the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor and this is when he really started to come out and be himself and have friends and. And start to write as well. I think as his parents aged and the restaurant had problems. I think they accepted who he was and how he was developing.. I think it's amazing how this person who worked all his life in Chinese restaurants with his family and how he became more confident and MC grew older. And you'll find this when you're reading the book.

I don’t really think it’s fair to rate memoirs, so a five star review will have to do!. I did really enjoy reading about Curtis Chin’s family and upbringing, as well as his perspective growing up in an Asian family in a predominantly white area in the 70s/80s. I always appreciate the insight provided by queer people who lived through these eras as well. It does make me appreciate how much sacrifice and work those before us have put in in an effort to make the world a little bit better for the next generation. Giving voice to the experiences of those living as minorities in any capacity is always so important, impactful, and appreciated. Thank you to Curtis for sharing your story with us all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown & Company for this advance copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

Chin’s memoir is so vibrant and rich in detail. From his early life in Detroit to struggling with his sexuality as a teen readers will be taken on a journey with this Chinese American family.

A memoir from Curtis Chin, about growing up ABC in Detroit in the 1980s while reconciling what it meant to be a POC and gay in America. I enjoyed Curtis' writing, most especially his stories about his big family and their experiences running a Cantonese restaurant in Detroit. The memoir runs from childhood to his college graduation, but he carefully selects the stories he chooses to share - I was interested in them all, and the book by no means felt too long.

This is a well-written memoir that combines the universal experience of being a second-gen immigrant with the unique (to me) experience of being a gay Asian man in '70-'80s Detroit. The way Curtis Chin writes is informative, descriptive, welcoming, and authentic. I appreciated this "journalistic" approach to a memoir where the genre is saturated with writers eager to either tell a protected, buttoned-up version of their lives or trauma dump on their readers. “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant” is an eye-opening breath of fresh air. The study of race and class in Detroit especially was very Morgan Jerkins/Isabel Wilkerson-esque.

Curtis Chin’s memoir about growing up in Detroit and its suburbs was entertaining, often very funny, and yet frank about racism and the experience of growing up gay.

The family restaurant was opened in 1940 in downtown Detroit’s Old Chinatown, which was, along with Paradise Alley, torn down for ‘urban renewal’. They relocated to the Cass Corridor in a mixed neighborhood.

The mayor came for dinner, and late night found hookers frequenting the restaurant. As it was opened on Christian holidays, it drew Jewish people.

In the 1980s, Detroit was not a good place to be. The city was bankrupt, people were fleeing, crime was up. The neighborhood changed. The restaurant doors were kept locked and opened for diners.

Chin’s writing about Chinese food made my mouth water! Almond cookies, egg foo young, moo goo gai pan, kung pao chicken, and egg rolls–with a surprising secret ingredient.

The Chins moved from the multicultural Southfield for Troy, which is just a few minutes north of where I live. The white neighborhood didn’t accept them, and their house was vandalized.

To fit into the white, suburban school, Chin became a young Republican supporting President Reagan. He grew out of his conservatism at University of Michigan where he met a broader demographic, including other gays. He finally felt comfortable to come out as gay.

When he took a writing class, his educational career took a curve. “Poetry saved me,” he writes. “It gave me back a sense of control, arming me with a new set of tools to express myself.” He launched a journal for writers of color.

The more lighthearted feel of the early book changes as Chin describes the anxiety of coming out and risking his first sexual encounters. From a child just looking for a place to sit in a busy restaurant, to a confident young man leaving home to start his career, this memoir of growing up has a unique slant

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

"Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" by Curtis Chin is a kindhearted memoir that takes readers on a journey through the author's life, intertwined with the story of his family's Chinese restaurant in Detroit. I'm not usually a memoir person, but I am a Detroiter, so I had to check this out (also the title was kinda fun).

Chin captures growing up during the 80s within the context of a family-run restaurant. The restaurant itself becomes more than just a place of business; it's a sanctuary for the family, a hub where they share meals, work, and some drama. I really felt for his mother, who had to carve out her own place among her in-laws.

The book does touch on some issues of sexuality and politics, but the author handles it with sincerity. Probably more suitable for older teens though.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A memoir about growing up in Detroit in the 80s. I struggled to find the thread to keep me engaged here. Others who enjoy memoirs a lot might enjoy this more.

This was such a great and refreshing memoir. It didn't read like a stuffy nonfiction books so this is one that I think readers who are new to nonfiction/memoir will enjoy to read.

Most books I've read by Asian American authors are based in LA or NY where there is a larger AAPI population. This was by a book where the author is from the Midwest so I found his perspective and struggle with finding his identity refreshing.

I wish the author wrote about his coming out. I loved reading about how he found a place with other gay people and Asian Americans while in college. I would have loved to see more that. The author also really hyped up/was anxious about coming out to his family but it never happened. I obviously can't change what happened in the authors life and don't think he should lie about it, but I still would have loved to read about how his family reacted to it. '

Overall, it's a great memoir. It's one I will read again in the future.

Growing up with your family running a Chinese restaurant is definitely an interesting premise for a memoir. Couple that with Detroit in the 1980s, coming out as a day and wanting to be a writer and now you've really got a multi-layered, complex life story.

My heart went out to young Curtis as he longs for a relationship with a guy and when he writes that a teacher doubted that he had written something and not plagiarized it! Ack.

This is definitely a unique life story and I look forward to talking it up to my library patrons.

Curtis Chin grew up in a restaurant. In the restaurant owned by his family, Curtis and his siblings learned to cook and to get along with all kinds of people, and he struggled with his identity as a gay man. His memoir is at times funny, touching, and inspirational, and at times heartbreaking and chilling. He pulls no punches in describing the changing landscape of Detroit in the 1980s and the struggles his family endured in the efforts to keep the restaurant open and thriving. Filled with details (some of them pretty intimate) about his sexuality and his struggles to follow his parents' dreams for him even when they conflicted with his own. A great look at both the politics and economics of Detroit and the personal and emotional issues of growing up as a member of the "model minority". It's an eye-opener.

ONE CAUTION -- some of Curtis' descriptions of his awakening sexuality are pretty detailed. While not overly graphic, this is definitely a book for young adults and older readers.

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this memoir from Curtis Chin, whose family owned a Chinese restaurant in Detroit, Michigan for six decades. Chin recounts growing up during the 80s along with his siblings, parents and grandparents, as they all participated in the running of this restaurant. The restaurant was much more than a family business; it was the primary living space where the kids retreated to a safe hub where they did their homework, read newspapers, and learned about life in general. The parents would utilize the children in various aspects of running this family concern as they grew older, gradually allowing them to assume more responsibilities. At times prestigious people such as the Mayor and even the famous actor Yul Brynner patronized the restaurant. Not only did this experience nourish unity as a family and impart life skills, but ensured that they never lacked a good meal.

Chin beautifully communicated the story of how he grew up and evolved into the person he is today. Although he touched on issues of sexuality and politics, he "spoke" honestly, gently, and without animus, drawing the reader in for thought-provoking inspection rather than alienating them. I really appreciated the loving care Chin employed conveying his story and enjoyed "living in his world" for awhile.

Thank you to the publisher Little, Brown and Company who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Can’t wait for this book to be released. It’s well written and easy to read, and I’m recommending it to folks. Really enjoyed learning from the authors experience about what Detroit was like in the 80s and his family dynamics with broader issues of class race religion and sexuality. Appreciated the authors approach to these nuanced topics

Let’s talk about how the chapters are arranged like a Chinese restaurant menu! So clever and such a nice detail. Growing up in the family Chinese restaurant in Detroit, Chin’s story follows growing up as a minority and finding his sexuality. It’s a combination of short stories and memories. From all of his experiences the Smut Run had me laughing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Curtis Chin, and Little Brown Company for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Curtis Chin's memoir was an enjoyable and touching read. I loved reading about his experiences growing up in a multigenerational Chinese American household while coming of age in 1980's Detroit. Chin's memoir is told with grace and humor as he navigates the subjects of sexual identity, racism and familial expectations.

What a great memoir, thank you for sharing your story with us.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Everything I Learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin!

I absolutely devoured this book. Maybe it’s because Chin and I are both Year of the Monkey?
What a delicious treat I found this memoir to be. Part heartwarming, part humorous, part heartbreaking. It’s a novel for all the senses.
I absolutely rooted for Chin and his entire family. I would read anything else Chin puts in front of me.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel, in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for access to this title. I am auto-approved by this publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

A memoir, Curtis Chin takes readers through his years as an Asian American living in Detroit in the 1980s. From discovering his sexuality to carving out a life as a writer, Curtis recounts his life with vivid detail and humor.

Honestly, I think I just chose this book because it had an eye-catching title. I liked that the book was broken up like a menu at a restaurant. After all, the family business is where all the "C's" spent most of their growing-up years. I feel it's a solid 3-star for me because I liked it but sometimes the pacing was off.


Expected Publication 17/10/23
Goodreads Review 09/09/23



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