The Pearl River Mart retail store in Chelsea Market is one of four locations.

Tucked away in Chelsea Market lies a mecca of Asian goods—Pearl River Mart. Upon stepping inside the inviting Asian American emporium—the world’s first of its kind—you would never guess its activist origins.

President Joanne Kwong is the daughter-in-law of Pearl River Mart co-founders Ming Yi And Ching Yeh ... [+] Chen.

Part of the first wave of immigrants that followed the lifting of immigration quotas in the mid-20th century, student activists Ming Yi And Ching Yeh Chen created Pearl River Mart in 1971 to fill the gap of Chinese goods in New York City. Their store became the place for the Chinese diaspora to find their favorite staples—from ginseng to porcelain tea sets. But more importantly, it was a site of belonging filled with reminders of home.

From roobios to matcha to taro—Pearl River Mart satisfies boba cravings with their highly ... [+] customizable drinks.

Five decades later and Pearl River Mart has grown into a New York City institution as a steward of Asian American culture. But their growth has not been without its challenges—in its over 50-year-old history, Pearl River Mart has moved its flagship store five times due to rent increases. The most significant was a rent increase in 2015 to over $6 million a year, which prompted the decision to close shop for good. After over 40 years in business, founders Mr. and Mrs. Chen were ready to retire.

But an outpouring of grief from New Yorkers—a testament to the store’s cultural significance—inspired them to reopen in Chinatown the following year, this time under the leadership of daughter-in-law Joanne Kwong. “It felt important to keep the store alive,” Kwong tells Forbes, accounting her own childhood memories of shopping at Pearl River Mart.

Since opening over 50 years ago, Pearl River Mart's customer base has expanded from AAPI immigrants. ... [+]

It was around the same time that Kwong visited Pearl River Mart as a kid that their customer base began to expand from Chinese immigrants to non-Asian shoppers. It’s this popularity among tourists and non-Asian locals that enabled the store’s expansion beyond Chinatown. Today, you’ll find the flagship store in Soho, with an outpost in the Museum of Chinese in America, and two shops in Chelsea Market. “It was transformative,” says Kwong on the significance of having locations alongside other New York City institutions like Amy’s Bread in Chelsea Market. “It affirms that we could leave and still have success outside Chinatown.”

Pearl River Mart was originally dubbed the ‘friendship store' to say, "we welcome all, no matter ... [+] your background or race," according to President Joanne Kwong.

While Pearl River Mart’s early offerings attracted Chinese immigrants, the store’s initial intent was to appeal to non-Asian shoppers too. “My father-in-law dubbed it a ‘friendship store,’” says Kwong. The president explains that in China, ‘friendship stores’ were sanctioned by the Chinese government to sell crafts made in the country to foreigners. “He called it a ‘friendship store’ to say we welcome all, no matter your background or race.” Kwong tells Forbes.

K-Beauty face masks at Pearl River Mart's Chelsea location.

In this way, Pearl River Mart acts as a bridge, exposing non-Asians to the rich and diverse cultures of Asia. But for Americans of Asian descent born and raised in the United States, Pearl River Mart serves as a bridge for them too, tying them to their roots. “The store was different for my grandparents, traditions fade,” says Kwong. “For Asian Americans today, it’s about straddling different worlds. Folks live far from their family, they’re biracial or adopted, it’s harder for them to access the stories. We wanted a place that is proudly Asian American, for people to feel visible.”

“People can get overwhelmed by choice, we provide the top recommendations for each category," says ... [+] president Joanne Kwong.

Whether it’s buying ingredients to make grandma’s recipe or looking for a children’s book by an Asian American author, Kwong says they’ve thoughtfully selected the best of the best goods to offer classic brands to shoppers. “People can get overwhelmed by choice,” the president tells Forbes. “We provide the top recommendations for each category.”

Pearl River Mart sells AAPI household names like the New York-famous nailcare line JINsoon.

In addition to selling household names, Kwong intentionally brings in emerging brands, to help amplify Asian American entrepreneurs too. “We bring in existing Asian businesses to incubate them,” says Kwong. “The hope is that they graduate and become bigger than us.”

Pearl River Mart has partnered with Gold House to highlight emerging AAPI-founded brands in Gold ... [+] House's founder network.

It’s this intention that motivated their most recent collaboration with Gold House, a community of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creatives and companies. In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, products by brands of Gold House’s Founder Network are for sale at Pearl River Mart locations through mid-June. They range from COVRY, a sunglasses brand that addresses the lack of options for Asian Americans with low bridges; to Yishi, a line of functional Asian-inspired instant oatmeal; to The Qi, a collection of fair trade tea blends rooted in Eastern philosophies.

Pearl River Mart sells emerging brands mushroom jerky brand Munchrooms and Omsom, a line of ... [+] Asian-inspired spice blends.

With so many brands now operating as direct-to-consumer, having their physical products for sale in Pearl River Mart provides an extra boost of confidence. “A lot of them haven’t seen their products in a retail store,” says Kwong. “This gives them a first shot so they can see themselves represented.”

Pearl River Mart sells both traditional and modern apparel.

It’s this in-person connection and community-building that has enabled Pearl River Mart to thrive for the past five decades. With pandemic restrictions loosening and people convening in-person again, the brand is getting back to hosting events to bring the AAPI community together at a time when unity is needed in the face of anti-Asian hate.

Pearl River Mart is hosting a group art exhibition featuring women-identifying artists at their ... [+] Chelsea and Soho locations.

Their most recent initiative is a group art exhibition featuring women-identifying artists presented in partnership with the Asian American Arts Alliance. The exhibit explores the idea of “soft solidarity”—what it means to be in a kind of solidarity that isn’t constrained by background or socioeconomic status—and is displayed throughout Chelsea Market and at their flagship Soho location.

"We wanted a place that was visible and identifiable and proudly Asian American," says president ... [+] Joanne Kwong.

From their early roots as a diasporic haven in Chinatown to giving AAPI brands their first big break today, Pearl River Mart continues to honor their activist origins. Even when their business slowed during the pandemic, they upheld their company’s ethos by using their connections to Chinese manufacturing companies to import personal protective equipment (PPE) for essential workers. “We like to think of ourselves as mission-based retail,” says Kwong. It’s clear this ‘friendship store’ is fulfilling its mission.