I loved MOTT STREET. I learned so much about NYC's Chinatown, American history, immigration, and the Chinese Exclusion Act reading this book, and I am grateful for this expanded understanding of the ways in which racism has been built into American society and governance. I've recommended MOTT STREET to several people and will make sure to give this book for the holidays. Perfect for history lovers!

4.5, rounded up. I knew about the Chinese Exclusion Act Congress passed in 1882 from an academic/purely historical standpoint, but Ava Chin's framing her family history around this makes the Act feel even more dehumanizing. It's clear that Chin did an extensive amount of research with primary sources, but this reads more like a multigenerational family saga than a dry history book; it was tough to put down, especially once I got to know the family members better. I wish I had gotten to know more about Chin's mom and dad--especially her dad's political legacy--but that would have made for a much longer book.

Grab this to read for AAPI.NH Heritage Month!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.
This was really interesting; the author traces her Chinese family history here in America, where at one time both sides of her family lived in a building in NYC Chinatown. There was so much in here that I did not realize about the Chinese Exclusion Act and its effects on people. I mean, I knew it was a thing, but I did not really understand. I know more now, and this is good. I hope we never ban an entire people from immigration or citizenship again.

This book definitely made me nostalgic for a time that I did not live through. A great purchase for Libraries with a strong Asian community.

You will never look at Chinatown the same way again. Full of information and personal stories, this book reads as a novel and will appeal to people who love non-fiction and those who say "but I only read novels!"
Wonderfully crafted and utterly READABLE, I will recommend this book far and wide.