Eastwind Books of Berkeley

This past Sunday, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Minnie Phan shared with us their new picture book, Simone, a story about a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

Our choice for best children’s picture book of 2024, Simone shares poignant lessons with readers about refugee families losing their homes and relocating due to danger, incarcerated firefighters, and community support through mutual aid, art, and activism. A must read for your little ones!

We have a limited amount of copies, autographed by both Viet and Minnie, available on our website (link in bio)!

Sunday, September 22, 2024 | 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Join Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books for the release of Simone, an exciting new picture book, with words by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and art by illustrator Minnie Phan. Simone is an unforgettable story of a Vietnamese American girl whose life is transformed by a wildfire.

Arrive at 12 PM for a children’s coloring activity led by Minnie Phan, followed by a reading, live drawing, Q&A, and book signing starting at 1 PM.

Viet and Minnie hope Simone inspires a generation to pick up a pencil, to create daringly, and to dream fiercely a new vision for a more collective, collaborative, and compassionate future.

Get your tickets here! https://oacc.cc/event/simone/
For youth under 16 years old: FREE
General age 16+: $10

Repost from

✨Join APSC in celebration of the launch of their 2nd anthology, ARRIVING! Published by Eastwind, “ARRIVING captures—in their own words—stories of Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals inside prisons, detained by ICE, or recently released from ICE or prisons, as well as stories from impacted family members. These reflective pieces detail their experiences with war, memory, prison, transformation, healing, and home.”

🗓️ Saturday, June 29th from 1-4pm
📍252 2nd St, Oakland, CA 94607
🎟️ Limited tickets! Get your tickets at the link of ‘s bio

Celebrating the launch of the new book, Corky Lee’s Asian America: 50 Years of Photographic Justice.

Friends of Corky - Harvey, Helen Zia, and Stephen Gong sharing and honoring the beloved photographer’s legacy and his impactful work reshaping narratives.

The book is a posthumous collection of over 200 breathtaking photographs documenting the history and cultural impact of the Asian American social justice movement through the lens of Corky. His work centered working class women, children, and men who have been erased from history, capturing their struggle and resilience. A truly “valuable and moving record of Asian American existence, culture, and activism” (Viet Thanh Nguyen)

Get your copy of the book on our website! Linked in our bio🌟

New children’s book! Available at Eastwind Books 🌟

Debut children's picture book author Kai Naima Williams, great-granddaughter of Yuri Kochiyama, intimately chronicles the experiences, people and places that shaped Yuri's life.

With illustrations from Anastasia Magloire Williams, The Bridges Yuri Built inspires young readers to embrace Yuri's unswerving belief that together we can build a bridge to a better world.

Link in bio to purchase a copy!

A few words from Harvey…

"This was at teach-in at the UC Berkeley student encampment with different generations of political activists. I brought in personal experiences from the 1967-68 Stop the Draft Week, 1969 TWLF strike and the 1969-1977 I-Hotel anti-eviction struggle. Others shared their thoughts and experiences of the struggles that followed: the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, Black Lives Matter, and the movement for Palestinian Liberation. We wanted to share these experiences to give the student protestors a confidence boost. With what they are engaged in right now, they are on the right side of history. That, the recent arrests and attacks represent weaknesses of the university administration. We are winning, the word on the street is out. It is an important time to continue building solidarity."

To the students at UC Berkeley and universities across the country rising up to demand a ceasefire and divestment from the occupation and genocide in Gaza, we see you and we are with you!

Yesterday at Susan Lieu’s book launch! Copies of The Manicurist with signed bookplates are available on our website 🌟

🗓️ March 28th from 7:30-9pm
📍Great Star Theater in SF

✨Book talk with Susan Lieu on the launch of her new memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter ✨

Delving into themes of grief, identity, and intergenerational trauma, this gripping memoir by Susan Lieu explores the crumbling of the American Dream and a daughter of refugees who searches for answers after her mother's tragic death during plastic surgery. Moderated conversation, community Q&A, and book signing to follow event.

Pre-order the book with your ticket through the link in our bio and we will have it available for pick up on event day at our table! Books will also be available for purchase on-site.

🗓️ Sunday, March 24th from 1-2pm
📍Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Journalist William “Bill” Gee Wong was born in Oakland, California's Chinatown in 1941, the only son of his father, known as Pop. As Pop grappled with the systemic racism towards Asians during the exclusion era, Wong wistfully depicts Pop's efforts to establish a family business and build a life for his family in segregated Oakland. Sons of Chinatown is Wong’s evocative dual memoir of his and his father's parallel experiences in America.

Wong will read from his newly published memoir, followed by a conversation with Harvey D**g of Eastwind Books and a book signing.

RSVP at the link in our bio and purchase a copy of the book on our website!

Eastwind Books at the Oakland Chinatown Street Bazaar last weekend! What a blast. A big thanks to for gracing our booth with their new book and many many portraits!

“Lunar New Year Love Story” is available for purchase on our website, along with a fun selection of Lunar New Year children’s books for all the kiddos.

If you missed us last week, we’re excited to be at ‘s Lunar New Year and Black History Month celebration tomorrow from 11-4pm! We’ll be hosting a kids craft and storytelling room. See you there 🧧📚🎋

Harvey and Dr. Carlos Muñoz Jr at the Howard Zinn Book Fair!

Dr. Muñoz Jr’s new memoir, “Victory is in the Struggle: From Barrio Boy to Revolutionary & Scholar,” is the most recent Eastwind publication and it’s available on our website!

Viet Thanh Nguyen’s book talk of his new book, A Man of Two Faces! Thanks for having us. We still have a limited amount of signed copies left in our website!

Sunday, October 15th from 5-6pm PDT — Join us for a virtual book talk with Marie Silva Vallejo on her new book, DAUNTLESS, which unfolds the WWII history of the US Army 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments and their critical role to help liberate the Philippines from Japan's imperial army. Vallejo will be joined in conversation with Alex Fabros Jr and Lillian Bando.

The free event is co-sponsored by Eastwind Books Multicultural Services and UC Berkeley's Asian American Research Center.

Go to https://dauntless.eventbrite.com/ to RSVP and for more info!

DAUNTLESS is available for purchase at Eastwind Books: https://www.asiabookcenter.com/store/p4782/DAUNTLESS%3A_The_1st_%26_2nd_Filipino_Infantry_Regiments%2C_United_States_Army.html

Who else grew up with Grace Lin’s books - The Year of the Dog, Dumpling Days, Starry River of the Sky, and more!?

This September, we’re excited to partner with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the Berkeley Public Library to bring free book readings by Grace Lin on her new book, “CHINESE MENU: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods.”

🥮 Sept. 13th at 3pm at
🥮 Sept. 14 at 4:30pm

Bring your kids and family for a fun book reading and interactive drawing demonstration by Grace Lin!

RSVP links in bio. Seats are filling up quick so RSVP soon!

We are so excited for the launch of Marie Silva Vallejo’s book, Dauntless, which unfolds the World War II history of the U.S. Army 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments and their critical role to help liberate the Philippines from the Japanese.

🗓️Sat, September 9th, 2023 from 2-3:30pm
📍SF Public Library, 3rd floor (100 Larkin St)

“Less than ten hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines began. It catalyzed the formation of the U.S. Army’s First Filipino Battalion to fight for their motherland. Why did Top-Secret missions go behind enemy lines on the islands for over two years before their liberation?”

📚Books available for sale at asiabookcenter.com and at the event at our Eastwind Books book table!

Last month, friends of Eastwind Books got together for a summer bbq, our first gathering post-storefront! It was lots of fun enjoying good food and fun in the sun together🌷

If you’re wondering how we’re doing post-storefront, it looks a lot like Harvey packaging online orders out of his garage where the shelves and remaining books of the store now live. Harvey’s also working on multiple upcoming anthology and memoir publications and we’ve been selling books at reading events here and there! There may not be a storefront anymore but the friendships still run deep. And for that, we’re grateful :)

📸:

This Sunday! Book reading and conversation with award-winning authors Ingrid Rojas Contreras and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo 🌟

When: Sunday, June 30th from 6-8pm
Where: ARTogether Center at 1200 Harrison St. Oakland

Eastwind will be selling books at the event! Join us!

Thank you to everyone who came to our author talk yesterday with Fae Myenne Ng on her new book, Orphan Bachelors!

It was such an insightful conversation about language and her creation of the term “orphan bachelors,” the living memories of her “doomed American family,” and the story behind the book cover. She continued her practice of engaging her students in her readings, having Kelly join her in reading an excerpt from the book.

If you’d like to dive into this captivating memoir, copies are available for purchase on our website.

Thank you for partnering with us to host this author talk and supporting AAPI literature❤️

🎟️ RSVP to enter our RAFFLE to win a copy of Orphan Bachelors or a 8.5x11 Eastwind print! 🎟️ Winner must be present at the event to redeem.

Eastwind's co-owner, Bea D**g, said Orphan Bachelors is the BEST book she's read that captured the language and stories of San Francisco's Chinatown. Join Fae Myenne Ng's author talk to find out why! 📖✨

📅 Sat. June 10th 2-3 PM
📍ARTogther 1200 Harrison St. Oakland

If you missed the event with Fae Myenne Ng a couple weeks ago, we’re hosting another author talk with Fae on June 10th, 2pm at ARTogether’s center in Chinatown, 1200 Harrison St.

Seats are limited so please RSVP to save your spot at orphanbachelors.eventbrite.com

We’re exciting to bring this free author talk to you with ARTogether, a nonprofit that provides art programs that foster compassionate communities where refugees and immigrants can flourish.

CAAMFest this past Saturday for ‘s book talk and signing of her new cookbook Ever-Green Vietnamese! 🥬🧅🥒

Be sure to check out all the films showing this week (5/11-5/21) at CAAMFest!

Fun fact, SF’s Great Star Theater was often frequented by the Eastwind OGs in the 70s. Harvey mentioned watching Come Drink with Me (1966) starring Chen Pei Pei. It was also when martial arts actors, David Chiang and Ti Lung, became a hit in the Shaw Bros films🎥

Tomorrow! Fae Myenne Ng with Harvey D**g at the Berkeley Public Library🍂

Copies of Orphan Bachelors is available for purchase at asia book center.com

See you there!

🥬Catch us at CAAMFest this Saturday for a fresh conversation with Andrea Nguyen and Soleil Ho, followed by a book signing of Andrea's new cookbook!

Award-winning author, Andrea Nguyen, returns with her 7th cookbook, Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea. Andrea sets out to reimagine Vietnamese dishes, with a renewed determination to cultivate and lift the exciting flavors, textures, and colors of the vegetable kingdom.

📅 May 13 at 12PM @ Great Star Theater in SF

🎟️Tickets are available at caamfest.com/2023

📣Join Berkeley Public Library and Eastwind Books for an afternoon with author Fae Myenne Ng in conversation with Harvey D**g about her new memoir, Orphan Bachelors.

From the bestselling and award-winning author of novels Bone and Steer Toward Rock, Fae Myenne Ng's Orphan Bachelors is an extraordinary memoir of her beloved San Francisco's Chinatown and of a family building a life in a country bent on their exclusion.

When: 5/13 2-3 pm
Where: Berkeley Public Library
2090 Kittredge St, Berkeley

We’ve collaborated with to create an online community archive for Eastwind Books! Friends can go to the link and leave a message on the Community Farewell Card for Bea and Harvey that we will then print and share with them! Fee free to share with them any memories and photos you have around the store, and to thank them for their service to our community!

the link is in our bio!