Interior/Exterior: Chinatown Reflections

Join a discussion with writer Valerie Luu, photographer Andria Lo, and poet Hieu Minh Nguyen exploring intergenerational stories and reflections of the culture of Chinatown. 

Lavish in the fun, colorful, sartorial images and stories celebrating the residents of Chinatown.

Chinatown Pretty features beautiful portraits and heartwarming stories of trend-setting seniors across six Chinatowns.

Andria Lo and Valerie Luu have been interviewing and photographing Chinatown’s most fashionable elders on their blog and Instagram, Chinatown Pretty, since 2014. Chinatown Pretty is a signature style worn by pòh pohs (grandmas) and gùng gungs (grandpas) everywhere—but it’s also a life philosophy, mixing resourcefulness, creativity, and a knack for finding joy even in difficult circumstances. Photos span Chinatowns in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Vancouver. The style is a mix of modern and vintage, high and low, handmade and store bought clothing. This is a celebration of Chinese American culture, active old-age, and creative style.

Chinatown Pretty shares nuggets of philosophical wisdom and personal stories about immigration and Chinese American culture. This book is great for anyone looking for advice on how to live to a ripe old age with grace and good humor—and, of course, on how to stay stylish.

Valerie Luu is a writer and one-half of the Vietnamese pop-up restaurant Rice Paper Scissors. She lives in San Francisco.

Andria Lo is a freelance photographer whose work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, and Wired. She lives in Berkeley.