Although his is one of the most anticipated memoirs of the fall season, Curtis Chin, a gay, American-born Chinese writer from Detroit said, “It took 10 years to sell Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. To be an author you have to persevere. You will hear the word no a lot and you have to give yourself the yes. I sent my book idea and pages to 90 agents; 30 gave no response, 30 said no, 30 asked for more pages. Where I found my support was in writers’ groups. They are free, online, and you get feedback from around the world. I wanted my book to resonate with all people not just the gay community, or the Asian community, or people who love Detroit.”

Chin, who is one of the nation’s top food writers, decided to tell his own story after the death of his dad. “There was this whole new generation who knew nothing about my parents, their hard work, how we grew up, or stories from that time period,” he said. “My parents owned Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine. I hope readers enjoy the fun and food in the book, and also appreciate the serious topics. When I was growing up, the different cultures and neighborhoods didn’t talk; they were in their own inner-city silos. But it was different in my parent’s Chinatown restaurant. Everyone from different backgrounds came to enjoy a good meal. So, I say of my book, ‘Come for the egg rolls, stay for the anti-racist education.’”

Chin, co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, traces his desire to write and amplify Asian-American voices to a family friend’s murder. In 1982, Chin followed the court trial and saw there was no justice for his friend Vincent Chin, who had been beaten to death with a baseball bat by two white autoworkers. The men who attacked Vincent Chin were not alone in their anti-Asian sentiment. Japanese cars were taking off in popularity, and it led to a loss of American autoworkers’ jobs, with Detroit being one of the hardest-hit areas. Vincent Chin, a Chinese-American, could be called the Emmett Till of the Asian-American community. His killers were initially charged with manslaughter, but the judge let them off with a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation.

To say the least, “it was frustrating,” Curtis Chin said. “There were no Asian-American political leaders, or famous stars, to speak up and fight for justice. Thankfully, this is changing.”

For the then 17-year-old Chin, several things were born out of this hate crime — and largest was his desire to stop hate. Chin made the 2009 documentary titled Vincent Who? to share Vincent Chin’s story and the legacy of change that came about. And his new book, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, includes reflections on growing up, Vincent Chin’s story, and so many other heartfelt and funny stories.  Pre-orders can be made through Amazon; the book’s release date is Tuesday, October 17.  

When reflecting on menu favorites from his family’s restaurant, Chin said, “It depends what you like. I was recently on America’s Test Kitchen sharing the most popular dish called Almond Boneless Chicken. It is a regional dish, most popular in Michigan and Ohio. Almond Boneless Chicken is a battered fried chicken over a bed of lettuce with an Asian flavor infused gravy. It is basic, delicious, and we sold so, so many! I am very interested in the origins of this dish. It melds Chinese food with Southern soul food brought to the area during the Great Northward Migration of Black Americans. The history of food is fascinating.”

You can catch Chin during his 30-city book tour. He will read an excerpt and discuss the book at L.A.’s Skylight Books on Thursday, October 26 at 7 p.m. skylightbooks.com

Learn more about this passionate foodie and his work on his website: curtisfromdetriot.com