Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," by Curtis Chin

The memoir "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" (Little Brown, 2023) is cleverly framed in the context of the Chinese restaurant that author Curtis Chin's family owned and operated in Detroit. Within that framing, we follow the growing up of Chin and his siblings, in the contexts of their extended family, the restaurant, the troubled city of Detroit, and the racial and cultural issues that affected the family and the United States. We also get glimpses of the history of the family and more generally of Chinese immigrants to the U.S., plus their ABC (American-born Chinese) offspring. A major theme too is the memoirist's discovery of his gay sexuality, and his long, hesitant process of coming out, especially to his family. This author, now a writer and documentary filmmaker, has a direct, candid, appealing, and at times humorous style. Despite some very normal muted clashes with some family members at times, Chin obviously deeply loves his family, and loves the restaurant that was such a huge focus of their family life. He also clearly loves the dishes that are served in the restaurant, and his descriptions of the food are often quite detailed. This memoir is an engaging read.