Wing on Wo & Co, Part II: Find Mei on Mott Street

New York, I Love You But You've Changed

In part II of our final episode, we return to Wing on Wo & Co, the oldest continuously operating store in Manhattan's Chinatown to sit down with Mei Lum- the store's fifth generation owner. She explains what informed her decision in 2016 at the age of 26 to defer her acceptance to grad school at Columbia and assume ownership of the store. And also how that ownership has informed the development of the W.O.W project, her non profit whose mission is to sustain ownership over Chinatown's future by growing, protecting and preserving Chinatown's creative culture through arts and activism. Mei and Alexis also dig into how Chinese culture is often appropriated, and Mei drafts a response to an inappropriate Instagram post. She also fills us in on the history Chinatown holds, the challenges it faces and her (cautious) vision for her store, her project and her neighborhood. You can stop by W.O.W (26 Mott Street) any day of the week between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. And to learn more about the store's history, visit their website and listen to the Prelude to the End: Alexis Says Goodbye to NewYorkILYBYC.