May 7, 2026 - Neighborhoods

Restoried highlights Asian-American experience

Monica Eng

man in front of book shelves — Restoried Bookshop owner Justin Valas at his Albany Park bookstore. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

In an era when independent booksellers face corporate competitors and shrinking attention spans, Justin Valas audaciously opened Restoried Bookshop, focused solely on Asian and Asian-American works.

What they're saying: "For me, highlighting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander stories is important in painting a more complete picture of our past and a more vibrant vision for our future," Valas tells Axios about his goals for the two-year-old Albany Park shop.

State of play: For the next few weeks of AANHPI Heritage month, Valas will be hosting multiple events, including discussions with authors Pauline Chow and Amran Gowani on May 15 and 16 as well as an Asian-American 101 Book Club on May 18.

When he takes in the scope of Asia, Valas, a longtime immigrant rights activist, includes places as far apart as Hawaii and Palestine.

The bottom line: As a third-generation Japanese-American, Valas says he just wants to create "a space where our communities can see themselves reflected on our shelves, embrace and explore the histories of our varied experiences, and nurture creative possibilities."

"At a personal level, I hope that it can also be a place where my kids can feel empowered and proud of what we're doing."

If you go: Restoried Bookshop is at 4613 N. Kedzie Ave., right off the Kedzie Brown Line stop.

Add Axios on Google

Restoried highlights Asian-American experience

More Chicago stories