Born in America, the daughter of immigrants, writer Gish Jen recalls that, “When we were growing up, people would often say: your father is very Chinese.” Not just a little Chinese – very Chinese. What did they mean by that? She answers astutely, with reference to her father’s unlikely memoir, the Tianamen Square tank man, and the chairs in the Shanghai Starbucks. A conversation at the Musuem of Chinese in America with music from pianist Alexander Wu.

•  PERSON: her father
•  PLACE: Tianamen Square
•  THING: Starbucks chairs
•  RANDY’S THING: this sign