An Asian American-owned bookstore in Manhattan’s Chinatown left gutted by a July fourth fire is getting flooded with support from the community, writers and celebrities. Yu & Me Books surpassed its GoFundMe page goal of $150,000 and has generated over $250,000 as of Friday morning. “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu and authors Celeste Ng and Min Jin Lee were among the donors. Store owner Lucy Yu says the blaze started in a residential unit above the store. The cause has not yet been determined. The store will be closed indefinitely as repairs and renovations are likely to take a year. Described as New York City’s first female-owned Asian American bookstore, Yu & Me opened in 2021 amid pandemic-driven anti-Asian attacks.
