Eastwind Books of Berkeley, a historic Asian American bookshop, plans to shut its doors permanently April 30.Eastwind Books of Berkeley, an Asian American bookshop that opened in 1982, is set to shut its doors permanently April 30, as first reported by. The store carries an extensive collection of Asian American literature, ethnic studies books and language learning materials at 2066 University Ave.
Activists Harvey and Beatrice Dong took over the bookstore when it was in danger of closing in 1996, transforming it from a store that sold primarily Chinese language books to the more wide-reaching catalog it has today. It wasn’t the first time the couple had been in the bookstore business. Harvey Dong had helped open the first Asian American bookstore in the country in January 1970 in San Francisco, though the shop closed after it was evicted in 1977 by the building’s real estate developers.
Harvey said a combination of factors led to their decision to close. He and Beatrice are in their 70s and want to dedicate time to taking care of their aging parents. They also recently received a rent hike and a hefty bill for repairs from their landlord. Plus, their lease is up in April.