And I want you to tell me more about that - like, how a Chinese restaurant essentially became a safe space in Detroit.ĬHIN: Yeah. You write so lovingly, like, so proudly, about how it didn't matter who you were, that you would have a seat at the table at Chung's. I was hungry reading this entire book, Curtis. Welcome.ĬHIN: You made me hungry just by that introduction.ĬHANG: (Laughter) Oh, my God. In his new memoir, 'Everything I Learned, I Learned In A Chinese Restaurant,' Chin reminisces about growing up in 1980s Detroit, a gay Chinese American kid who was very much searching for his own community. He grew up in that restaurant and watched it offer anyone who entered its doors not just mouth-watering almond, boneless chicken or sizzling beef.
Black or white, rich or poor, Christian or Jewish, the restaurant, we took anyone's money.ĬHANG: For Curtis Chin, Chung's wasn't just a family business. You know when you're walking around looking for a great Chinese restaurant, and you spot one that is filled with mostly Chinese people? I mean, take it from me, that is usually the sign of where you want to eat, right? But one terrific Chinese restaurant in Detroit called Chung's drew a very different-looking crowd.ĬURTIS CHIN: It was one of the rare places in the segregated city where everyone felt welcome.
