Queens bookstore offers over a hundred books in Mandarin
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — Nestled on a quiet street in Woodside, Volcano Books is not the ordinary bookstore.
Opened at the end of March, the bookstore features 200 books -almost all of them written in Mandarin.
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Yan Li, a 30-year-old Chinese immigrant who moved to the United States in 2015 is an avid reader and calls the store his passion project. “Living here for many years I realized I read fewer books because of the language barrier,” said Li.
“I realized there’s a big group of people living in New York that have this need too. They want to read Mandarin language books.”
Li says he was inspired to open the store because of a gap in the market. While there are other Chinese bookstores in the city, as well as a Chinese section at the library, Li says his store appeals to younger readers who are looking for the newest selections.
“They don’t have the latest, newest books coming into the store. In our store we import books twice a month. They’re all new books just published last year and early this year.”
The store also features a small section of Chinese books that are translated into English to promote cultural exchange.
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Li also uses the space to host community events, like art shows and movie nights. “People get together because they have the same cultural background they have the same hobbies or they just love books so a higher common understanding.”
Li adds while the books are the heart of the space, his main goal is to provide the next generation of Chinese children or immigrants a place where they can find a sense of belonging.
“Without a Chinese bookstore or community, those kids they have to go to a Chinese school to learn the language but they don’t know where to use it except speaking in their home//people can get together and speak mandarin in this store.”
This weekend at Volcano Books, there will be a movie night on Friday, an art workshop on Saturday, and a comedy show on Sunday.
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