A group of young Chinese men and women living abroad decided in 1971 that China had a lot to offer the United States and joined forces to build a tiny "friendship" store in Chinatown, New York City. At the time, direct trade was prohibited and diplomatic contacts between China and the United States were closed, thus this was a bold concept. They succeeded in some way.
President Nixon and Chairman Mao clasped hands in Beijing a few months after the store opened, solidifying Pearl River's legendary status as the first Chinese American department store in history. They developed a reputation over the following fifty years as the destination in NYC where you could find almost everything, including chopsticks, rice snacks, and Buddha statuettes. Pearl River is now a well-loved landmark in New York and a representation of the inventiveness and innovation of Asian Americans in this nation.
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