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A fire destroyed a landmark Chinatown bookstore. $325K-plus in donations is helping keep it afloat.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Jul 11, 2023
Modified Jul 11, 2023
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Courtesy Lucy Yu
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Jul 11, 2023
Modified Jul 11, 2023
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When 28-year-old Lucy Yu created an online fundraiser to help save her Chinatown bookstore — described as the first Asian American woman-owned bookstore in the city — she doubted she’d ever reach the lofty goal.
Within hours, the GoFundMe to repair major water damage caused by a Fourth of July fire in the apartment upstairs met its target of $150,000.
And as of this week, more than 6,000 people — including prominent figures like Simu Liu, the star of Marvel's "Shang-Chi," and authors Celeste Ng and Min-Jin Lee — have donated more than $325,000 to help Yu and Me Books.
Emergency contractors estimate that renovations will take a year to complete. While Yu expects insurance to cover most of the costs, the donations amassed so far will help cover her staff’s wages and health care for at least three months, and help replace furniture and damaged books, among other needs.
A chemical-engineer-turned-bookseller, Yu opened the shop in December 2021 with the goal of highlighting immigrant authors and writers of color. The roughly 1,000-square-foot store with a bar was also intended as a watering hole that would host author talks, open mic nights and monthly book club meetings.
Until the outpouring of support, Yu wasn’t entirely sure if she had created the community space she had envisioned: a place where we can “know that we don't have to go through it alone.”
This is my baby, you know? It's my dream And I — I just couldn't watch it all crumble so fast.
Lucy Yu, owner of Yu and Me Books
“We built this bookstore as a community space, and its arms extended so much further than I expected,” Yu said. “The community extended their arms to us in this moment, and they gave us a big hug and they were like, ‘Don’t worry, we got you. We’re not going to let you fall.’”
Remediators have removed the walls and ceilings, which risked growing mold from water damage. The salvageable books have been moved to a storage facility. Meanwhile, Yu’s searching for another space where the shop can temporarily open. The fire department is still investigating the exact cause of the fire.
Yu was working when her neighbor came downstairs to alert her of the fire and ask for a cup of water. She evacuated the store and tried to remain calm as the smoke plume grew. When the fire finally subsided, she ran inside — and broke down when she glimpsed the full extent of the damage.
Firefighters smashed the store’s windows to get inside. The floor was flooded with ankle-deep water, which had seeped into the walls. The ceiling caved in, destroying the furniture. And water from fire hoses soaked thousands of books, nearly all the inventory.
“This is my baby, you know? It's my dream," she said. “And I — I just couldn't watch it all crumble so fast.”
She immediately began placing books into trash bags and covering piles of books with tarps to protect them from the water continuing to rain down. Several friends arrived to help, and some handed her whiskey to keep her spirits up.
While grieving her losses, Yu has been overwhelmed by the extraordinary outpouring of support from friends and supporters.
“I have to start believing in myself a little bit more because now I have a lot of other people believing in me,” Yu said. “I think that will allow me to create something even bigger than before.”
This story has been updated to correctly describe Lucy Yu as a former chemical engineer.
Tagged
arts
manhattan
Race And Justice Unit
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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